Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Testing Suggests There's A Wide-Spread Outbreak Throughout Federal Prison System
The Associated Press: Over 70% Of Tested Inmates In Federal Prisons Have COVID-19
Michael Fleming never got to say goodbye to his father. He didn’t know his dad was fading away on a ventilator, diagnosed with coronavirus at the federal prison where he was serving time for a drug charge. His father, also named Michael, was held at FCI Terminal Island in Los Angeles and died April 19. At least half the population there has tested positive, the largest known hot spot in the federal prison system. (Balsamo, 4/30)
ProPublica/WBEZ: Inside The Jail With One Of The Country’s Largest Coronavirus Outbreaks
The Cook County Jail in Chicago is one of the largest in the country. Sprawling across 96 acres on the Southwest Side, the facility houses more than 4,000 people, most awaiting trial. Its cramped living conditions made it a perfect petri dish for COVID-19. Today, the jail is home to one of the largest known outbreaks in the country and has been a flashpoint in the national debate over how to contain the virus in correctional facilities. (Heffernan, 4/30)
The New York Times: Prisoner With Coronavirus Dies After Giving Birth While On Ventilator
The first female federal prisoner to die after contracting the coronavirus was a 30-year-old mother who had just weeks earlier given birth while on a ventilator. The woman, Andrea Circle Bear, of Eagle Butte, S.D., was sentenced in January to serve 26 months in prison for using a residence on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation to sell drugs in 2018. She admitted that she had sold $850 worth of methamphetamine to a buyer who was later revealed to be a confidential informant, according to court documents. (Bogel-Burroughs and Swales, 4/29)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Board Doesn’t Recommend Depopulating Nevada Prisons
The Nevada Sentencing Commission on Wednesday twice rejected recommending that Gov. Steve Sisolak move to depopulate the state’s prisons in an effort to stave off the coronavirus’ spread. The board, however, unanimously agreed to ask the governor to consider speeding up the enactment of a “geriatric” parole statute, which is set to take effect July 1. Such a move would mean that about six people older than 65 in Nevada Department of Corrections, which houses roughly 13,000 inmates, could have a chance at early release, prison officials said during the meeting. (Ferrara, 4/29)
Detroit Free Press: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over COVID-19 Response In Michigan Prisons
The Michigan Department of Corrections is facing a class action lawsuit over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak inside its facilities, where more than 1,400 prisoners are confirmed to have the virus and 41 inmates have died as of late Wednesday. A complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan accuses the department of violating prisoners’ Eighth Amendment rights by exposing them to risk of illness and death from COVID-19. (Jackson, 4/30)
Meanwhile, in other news on people being held in custody —
Detroit Free Press: Ex-Wayne Co. Juvenile Detention Employee Files Whistleblower Lawsuit
A former employee of the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility is suing the county after she said she was told to resign because she refused to work without a face mask to protect herself and others from COVID-19. The whistleblower lawsuit filed last week in Wayne County Circuit Court alleges that Azanean Petty of Detroit was forced to choose between her safety and her job. (Jackson, 4/29)
The Wall Street Journal: Inside The Largest Coronavirus Outbreak In Immigration Detention
As coronavirus infections surge in the nation’s immigration jails, the number is highest at a low-slung lockup surrounded by barbed wire sitting just a few miles from the Mexican border in California. As of Wednesday, 94 detainees and eight Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center had tested positive for Covid-19, the federal agency said. Additionally, CoreCivic, the private company that runs Otay Mesa, said 15 of its employees had tested positive. It is the biggest outbreak among all 221 U.S immigration lockup facilities, including local jail space rented by ICE. (Lazo and Elinson, 4/30)
