In an article posted August 21st, 2020, The Detroit Free Press reported that nearly half of the prisoner population at the Muskegon Correctional Facility tested positive for COVID-19. Men incarcerated there told the Free Press they feel it's inevitable that the virus will spread even further behind the prison's walls. They fear for their health and [...]
The Detroit Free Press reported on August 19th, 2020 that all prison staff are now required to get tested for COVID-19 under an emergency order issued that same day. Weekly testing will be required of employees who work in facilities with positive cases confirmed among prisoners or staff within the last 14 days. Testing in those [...]
A Washington Post editorial posted on August 21, 2020 notes the vulnerability of the prison population in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and the uneven efforts nationally to deal with this issue. The authors of the opinion article call for more prisoners to be released for health and safety reasons and to help [...]
The Detroit Free Press published an article on July 23rd highlighting a new program the Michigan Department of Corrections is rolling out to seven of its 29 prisons. The program will allow prisoners to make and receive video calls. The article notes that MDOC's telephone vendor, Global Tel Link, will provide video calls for [...]
An article highlighting Shearod McFarland's experience inside Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, Michigan was posted to Salon.com as part of a series of excerpts from "Unheard Voices of the Pandemic" by Voice of Witness. McFarland shares his experience and how the prison population has reacted to the threat of COVID-19 and also how prison staff have handled quarantining. McFarland starkly notes, "social distancing is virtually impossible" inside a prison.
In an article posted on July 13, 2020, michiganadvance.com examines a report that criticizes prisons nationwide over the COVID-19 response. The article notes that despite the low grade, Michigan ranks 2nd among all the states. Michigan Department of Corrections argues that, "a good score would be virtually impossible to achieve, given the initiative’s chosen metrics." [...]
The University of Pennsylvania's Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice produced an interactive view of crime statistics in U.S. cities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. View more at https://citycrimestats.com/covid/
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 Detroit Free Press reported on June 26th that Michigan received a D- grade for its response to COVID-19 in jails and prisons in a report published by the Prison Policy Initiative, a criminal justice think tank, and the ACLU. The report concluded that Michigan, "largely failed" to protect staff and prisoners during the COVID-19 [...]
A June 30th article posted on bridgemi.com notes that a ballot initiative aimed at Michigan prison reform faces hurdles from both Governor Whitmer and Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel. The article notes: As Michigan prisons recorded nearly 4,000 inmates with COVID-19, time is running out for a ballot drive that seeks to allow early release [...]
