We post news and comment on federal criminal justice issues, focused primarily on trial and post-conviction matters, legislative initiatives, and sentencing issues.
COVID KEEPS ON GIVING
A week ago Monday, the Bureau of Prisons broke a record. On that day, the BOP reported 9,531 inmate cases, a crest that fell to 7,808 by last Thursday (thanks in no small part to the BOP’s aggressive practice of writing off inmates as “COVID recovered” after 10 days).
The BOP failed to report case numbers last Friday, Jan 28. But yesterday, the number was still at 7,724, a number above last year’s record of 7,690.
Staff numbers (which the BOP cannot manipulate by declaring people to be recovered, u it can with inmate numbers) climbed 26% from the Friday before to 1,956. Staff cases are flirting with the all-time high of 2,107 set on January 13, 2021.
The BOP reported five more inmate deaths last week, one each at FMC Ft Worth, FMC Butner and Butner I, FCI Mendota (California) and Coleman Medium. This raises the total of BOP and private-facility inmate deaths to somewhere over 300. The Ft. Worth death was the 17th inmate COVID fatality at the facility.
The BOP numbers do not include Juanita Haynes. Ms. Haynes, who unsuccessfully sought compassionate release from FPC Alderson women’s facility last summer, filed again for release on December 23 even as COVID gripped her. Too little, too late. Ms. Haynes was placed on a ventilator the day after Christmas. On January 3rd, her sentencing judge finally believed her, and granted compassionate release.
“Ms. Haynes is currently suffering from a life-threatening case of COVID-19 and is unfortunately showing no signs of improvement,” the judge wrote. “Additionally, ICU staff have advised that if she is to recover from her current state, she will require a long-term tracheostomy. In light of these facts, the court concludes that Ms. Haynes’ current medical status amounts to a serious medical condition constituting extraordinary and compelling reason.”
Juanita Haynes died two days later, never coming out of her medically-induced coma to learn that she was a free woman. The BOP’s environment killed her, but because she expired after her release was ordered, it does not count her in its death total
ABC News reported last Wednesday that two U.S. Senators who had arranged to inspect FCI Danbury with labor union leaders and two state lawmakers “were barred from seeing the main women’s facility but were able to see a men’s unit after a ‘fight’ to gain access.”
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy (both D-Conn) sought to examine Danbury conditions in response to correctional officers’ complaints about a staffing shortage and lack of COVID precautions.
“There was clearly a decision made to try to stop both of us from seeing some of the conditions at this prison,” Senator Murphy said afterward. “This facility, even during COVID, should be open for inspection by policymakers. We need to see it during good times, but we also need to see it during bad times. And if the Bureau of Prisons has decided that US lawmakers are not going to be able to see what is really happening inside these prisons during a crisis, that’s a problem.”
The Denver Gazette reported Friday that BOP staff at FCI Englewood charged that the BOP had failed to “properly screen staff or broadly test inmates for COVID-19… ignoring federal guidance despite repeated pleas from the union that represents the facility’s workers.”
The result, the workers alleged, is the “largely unchecked spread of the virus in the sort of setting that has been a hotbed for outbreaks for nearly two years.” As of Thursday, Englewood reported 12 sick inmates and 18 sick staffers.
Inmates at FCI Englewood have to “beg and plead” to get tested, the Gazette said one union official had said, and “he alleged that the understaffed, in-house medical team had told some symptomatic inmates that they just have allergies.”
The Gazette said that in response to its inquiries, the BOP “said it would begin requiring enhanced screening for anyone entering the facility — the kind that employees say they’ve sought for months — starting Friday.”
As of yesterday, FCI Oakdale I reported 494 cases and Yazoo City Medium had 475. Five facilities had 200 or more cases, another 15 had more than 100 cases, and 24 more had 50 or over.
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Man’s death marks the 17th prisoner death from COVID at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth (January 27, 2022)
Lewisburg, West Virginia, Daily News, Three Alderson Inmates Have Died Due To COVID-19 (January 26, 2022)
ABC News, Senators say they were denied full access to federal prison (January 26, 2022)
Corrections1, Federal prison in Colo. allowing COVID to spread largely unchecked, employees say (January 31, 2022)
– Thomas L. Root