In an article published August 13, 2020, MLive reports that Michigan is experiencing the largest outbreak of COVID-19 in its prisons since spring. Muskegon Correctional Facility is reported to have close to 400 cases, while Newberry Correctional Facility in the Upper Peninsula reportedly has 32 inmates testing positive. Prison staff are also impacted - 8 [...]
The NY Times editorial board published an opinion article on June 25th about how federal prison officials have known the dangers of the spread of coronavirus inside prisons early on but have delayed in releasing at-risk inmates. The piece notes that: Currently, the nation’s top five Covid-19 hot spots are all correctional facilities, according [...]
The Marshall Project is a non-profit journalism project that is tracking COVID-19 infections in state and federal prisons. Interactive data helps people see just how widespread COVID-19 is among prisons and the toll it is taking on prisoners and staff. Much of the remarkable growth in coronavirus cases has been due to some states—Michigan, Ohio, [...]
The New York Times published an article on June 16th covering the rise in coronavirus cases in prisons even while the rate of infection in the US population has generally flattened. The article notes: The number of prison inmates known to be infected has doubled during the past month to more than 68,000. Prison deaths tied to the coronavirus have also risen, by 73 percent since mid-May.
The Detroit Free Press reports that many prisoners at Parnall Correctional Facility near Jackson have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. This may mean that nearly all of the prisoners have been exposed to COVID-19. The Michigan Department of Corrections offered antibody blood tests to all prisoners at Parnall starting in the middle of May. MDOC [...]
MLive reported on May 22, 2020 that the State of Michigan has tested all prisoners in state correction facilities in less than 15 days for COVID-19. This testing covered 38,227 people in 29 facilities. This mass testing, aided by the Michigan National Guard, has allowed Michigan to get a better handle on COVID-19 inside its [...]
