inmates
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Federal Prisons Will Prioritize Staff, Not Prisoners, for COVID-19 Vaccine, Sources Say
A coronavirus vaccine is coming, and the federal prison system is among the first government entities that are set to receive it. Seeing as there have been numerous reports documenting the threat COVID-19 poses to people in prison, this should be welcome news. There’s only one problem: Sources say that prison staff will be prioritized…
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New Jersey Releases More Than 2,200 Incarcerated People Under New Public Health Law
Considering all we know about COVID-19, it’s incredibly obvious that the conditions in American prisons aren’t exactly the best for mitigating the spread of the virus. To address this clear problem, New Jersey has released over 2,200 incarcerated people under a recently passed law. According to CNN, the law is the first of its kind…
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Protesters Chant 'Orange Lives Matter' at Oklahoma Prison Facing Coronavirus Outbreak
In Taft, Okla., a group of protesters have gathered outside a local prison currently facing an outbreak of COVID-19. KTUL-8 reports that protesters have taken to chanting “Orange Lives Matter,” outside of Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, a minimum-security women’s prison. They’re concerned with the way the prison has handled an emerging coronavirus outbreak. Merri Davila…
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Four Guards at a Alabama Charged for Using Excessive Force on Inmate
Alabama’s prison system has come under scrutiny in recent months following a federal report that details widespread, systemic issues of abuse and a lack of proper oversight. As a result of the findings, four guards have been charged with using excessive force against an inmate. The New York Times reports that the charges stem from…
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Over 600 New Coronavirus Cases Hit One Michigan Prison
One of the populations most at risk for contracting COVID-19 is prison inmates. The cramped living spaces combined with substandard conditions have made it difficult to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Prisons across the country have been dealing with rising numbers of COVID-19 and the situation is no different in Michigan. The Detroit Free…
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Jay-Z and Meek Mill Donate 10 Million Additional Masks to Prisons
The American prison system is, in a word, trash. prisoners are often faced with inhumane conditions and treatment, and the cramped living spaces make it one of the worst places to be in the midst of a pandemic. Luckily, there are folks out there who believe in treating prisoners with the basic dignity and respect…
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Maryland Inmate Who Was Granted Parole Twice but Denied by Governors Has COVID-19
Eraina Pretty, Maryland’s longest-incarcerated woman, has spent 42 years of her 60-year sentence behind bars for a violent crime. Since she’s been in prison, Pretty has acted as a mentor to fellow inmates and has been approved for parole twice by the Maryland Parole Commission only to be denied her freedom by two of the…
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Department of Justice Revises Early Release Requirements for Federal Prisoners
A prison in Fort Worth, Texas, has seen coronavirus cases increase by 275 percent over the course of a week. New models have shown that failure to reduce prison populations could result in 100,000 more deaths. Despite these facts, the Department of Justice has now limited the number of inmates eligible for early release. ABC News…
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Louisiana Prisoner Says He Was Choked by Sheriff's Deputy for Seeking Medical Care
If you thought that being in the midst of a global pandemic would inspire folks to act a little more humanely, well, you would unfortunately be wrong. Buzzfeed News reports that Bradford Skinner, an inmate at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, was choked by a sheriff’s deputy after asking for medical care. On April 3,…