As states have begun COVID-19 inoculations at prisons across the country, corrections employees are refusing vaccines at alarming rates, causing some public health experts to worry about the prospect of controlling the pandemic both inside and outside. The Marshall Project and The Associated Press in collaboration spoke with correctional officers and union leaders nationwide, [...]
After a year of no in-person connection because of the coronavirus pandemic, Michigan prisoners and their loved ones will be allowed to resume visits later this month. But the process will look different as the Michigan Department of Corrections implements precautions to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/03/12/michigan-prison-visits-reusme-coronavirus-covid/4663360001/
When asked why The Marshall Project is tracking COVID-19 cases in prisons, data journalist Katie Park said, “It shows us that this really is a serious issue behind bars. Typically, in the past few months, what I’ve seen is a rate of infection among prisoners that has been about four or five times that [...]
A growing number of pregnant individuals are being sentenced to serve time in prison. Advocates met as a panel discussion focused on the need to significantly change life for pregnant people in prison. Read more: https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/03/03/reforms-needed-for-pregnant-people-in-prison-advocates-say/
Cases of the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant inside Michigan's prison system have more than tripled since an outbreak at a prison facility in Ionia last week. Michigan ranks second nationally for the highest number of B.1.1.7 variant cases, behind Florida, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This variant is considered [...]
The Los Angeles Times reports that 40% of inmates in California’s corrections system have received the COVID-19 vaccine, a figure praised by prison advocates who say that only a fraction of the state’s vaccine supply is needed to protect a population that’s among the most vulnerable to the virus. The vaccinations began Dec. 22 according [...]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her administration will announce the further loosening of restrictions across Michigan. Currently a state health department order limits indoor restaurant capacity to 25%, imposes a 10 p.m. curfew and restricts the size of inside residential gatherings to no more than 10 people from two households, through March 29. Read more: https://www.dailypress.net/news/local-news/2021/02/whitmer-plans-to-ease-restrictions/ [...]
Fox News reports that of the nearly 900 positive cases of COVID-19 in the Michigan prison system, more than half of those cases are found in Ionia County. The Michigan Department of Corrections also noted that the UK variant of COVID-19 was found at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia. This strain is believed [...]
The Detroit Free Press reports that prisoners and staff at a state correctional facility in Michigan are now being tested daily for the coronavirus after the detection of the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant of coronavirus. The variant, which first appeared in the United Kingdom in September, spreads more easily than other previously identified strains. [...]
A faster-spreading variant of coronavirus has been discovered for the first time at a Michigan prison reports Patch.com. The report notes that MDOC officials said an employee at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia had tested positive for B.1.1.7, otherwise known as the U.K. variant of the coronavirus. It is the first known [...]
