The Detroit Free Press reported that "people incarcerated across the country are now eligible to receive coronavirus stimulus checks from the federal government, but they need to act fast to meet a deadline early next month." This stimulus available to those incarcerated stems from a California lawsuit where a federal judge in California recently ruled that the, [...]
WKAR reported that nearly one in five prisoners in Michigan prisons have been infected with COVID since the pandemic began. They note that more than 1,200 people in Michigan prisons are infected right now. Most of them are in four prisons: Marquette, Newberry, and two facilities in Ionia. MDOC spokespeople have noted that only [...]
ABC12 News in reports that more Michigan prisons will offer video visitation for prisoners amid the COVID pandemic. "Contact with friends and family is so important to the prison population. That’s why we worked hard to explore new technologies that could allow them to connect with their loved ones during this time," said Michigan [...]
The Appeal posted an article on October 19th investigating the impact of COVID-19 on prisons, their staff and population, and rural communities where the prisons are located. They noted the following data from Cascade County, Montana: Roughly a quarter of all known cases in Cascade County—where the local hospital’s 27-bed COVID-19 unit is at capacity—are [...]
TV station WLUC reported on October 16th that nearly a quarter of Marquette Branch Prison minimum security inmates have been transferred to Newberry Correctional Facility amid ongoing staffing absences stemming from COVID. Currently 204 inmates have tested positive with COVID. 96 prison staff have also reported positive, the highest in any Michigan correctional facility. [...]
ABC News reports that Michigan prison inmates will now receive photocopies of mail. Corrections officials say the new policy is aimed at stopping an uptick in attempts to hide prohibited items and drugs in mail and ensuring the safety of the prison population. Attempts at mailing contraband increased after in-person visiting ended in March [...]
WLUC reported on October 12th that additional correction staff were brought in to assist Marquette Branch Prison (MBP) while it deals with a major COVID outbreak. To assist with the staffing issues, MDOC is bringing in volunteers and members of its Emergency Response Team. Read more: https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2020/10/12/extra-staff-brought-to-marquette-branch-prison-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/
The Intercept reported on September 28th that prisoners at Muskegon Correctional Facility in Michigan described how officials, "frequent, haphazard transfers contributed to the virus’s spread". The article notes how that until July, Muskegon Correctional Facility had zero cases. But then by the end of July, cases had skyrocketed. Prisoners reported that officials failed by: [...]
In an article posted September 25th, michiganradio.org notes the terror and anxiety among prisoners caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. John J. Lennon was a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. John said that social distancing was impossible. He shared how making calls on prison phones meant being "chest to shoulders" with [...]
WXYZ Detroit reported on September 29th, 2020 that COVID-19 is highlighting disparities in the US criminal justice system. The article uses Quentin Burt's story to show how Federal mandatory minimum sentencing has impacted the US - in the 1970's, the federal prison population was about 300,000. Now, it's nearly two-and-a-half million. COVID-19 is revealing [...]
