1,108 people in prison dead from COVID-19: a wife's fight to free her husband before it's too late
Over 130,000 cases of COVID-19 inside — a COVID-19 update
Marsha Brewer holds a sign she made for a vigil outside of the Colorado prison her husband is held in. Jim is at high risk for COVID-19, but CO’s Gov. Polis has refused to extend executive orders that could release more people held at risk. Read more from me here: Colorado Springs Indy
“These jails and prisons are basically tinder boxes for infectious diseases that could be easily transmitted, usually via respiratory route,” Carlos Franco-Paredes, an associate professor of medicine and infectious disease at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, said.
Franco-Paredes listed the main reasons that jails, detention centers and prisons transmit COVID-19 at higher and more deadly rates than other places:
Poor ventilation in facilities
Close and tight spaces increase the R number (the number of people one infected person successfully passes the virus to)
Increased susceptibility to the virus compared to the general population
“[Incarcerated people] don’t have a choice to shield from the pandemic. And if you don’t do enough to protect them then... it’s the fault of the system.”
The Marshall Project is tracking cases in inmates and staff nationwide for each state:
Credit: The Marshall Project
News
Released to ICE: Released from prison due to COVID-19 concerns, he died two months later in immigration detention. [BuzzFeed]
Louisville: Two officers were shot during protests; advocates and family want transparency on grand jury’s decision. [Washington Post]
Breonna: Why it would have been difficult for Kentucky to arrest and charge the officers who killed Breonna. (The two who shot into her apartment were not charged this week) [The Marshall Project]
Stop right there: Florida’s attorney general wants to investigate Mike Bloomberg’s donation to pay off thousands of ex-felons court fines after a judge ruled this month they had to pay them to vote. [Orlando Sentinel]
The loss: RBG’s death could change the fate of immigrants, police accountability and juvenile lifers. [The Marshall Project]
Sunshine: Colorado passed a bill that opened up internal investigations, but the discipline process could be more transparent. [Colorado FOIC]
Predetermined: Bias is policing based on a person’s race has long been established. [Criminal Legal News]
Wrongful death: A private-run jail is accused of mistreatment after HIV positive women died in custody. [New York Times]
Fighting reform: Police reforms sparked massively in June have largely stalled around the nation. [POLITICO]
ICYMI: The attorney general told prosecutors to consider charges of sedition against protesters. [New York Times]
Long read: Trump has extravagantly out spent Biden on Facebook ads about criminal justice. [The Marshall Project]
This interactive article follows the last year of ads on Facebook. Trump has targeted suburban housewives and Black voters with conflicting messages on crime.
Educate yourself: A survey of incarcerated loved ones’ (mostly women) knowledge of the reality of COVID-19 behind bars. This study centers the powerful women behind the moment for decarceration. [Essie Justice Group & Color of Change]
Credit: Essie Justice
52 percent reported that their incarcerated loved one has at least one underlying medical condition that the Center for Disease Control has identified as “high-risk” for severe illness or complications should they contract COVID-19.
49 percent had underlying medical conditions that place them at high-risk for severe illness or complications from COVID-19.
30 percent reported their loved one did not have any access to medical care.
16 percent said that their loved ones’ facility was practicing any level of social distancing.
33 percent reported that their loved one’s attorney meetings have been
canceled.28 percent reported that their loved ones can only talk to attorneys through video or phone options and 21 percent reported that video or phone visits are being monitored.
76 percent reported increased stress and anxiety.
40 percent experienced depression and 25 percent reported that their depression worsened since the pandemic.
11 percent said that their loved ones’ release date had been pushed back due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 resources: State policy changes. News. Bureau of Prisons updates. State court changes. Prison holistic self care and protection.
We want to hear from you about how COVID-19 is impacting you and the people connected to you. What is not being talked about? What story do you have that needs to be heard? Who do you want answers or explanations from? Please reach out to tips@thedes1790.com.
The Des drops into your inbox weekly with a collection of small and digestible snippets concerning the criminal justice system. It promises to be humanizing, spunky, and educational. Our name: The Des is short for Desmoterion, “place of chains,” used to describe prisons in ancient Athens. We like the idea of chains because the country is shackled to a justice system that reaches into every part of American society. We are here to cover it all.