Dec 22, 2020
ESCANABA As of Monday, the U.P. had 13,857 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 3,000 probable cases, 308 deaths and 67 probable deaths linked to the disease. Monday’s daily case count represents new referrals of confirmed cases to the MDSS since Saturday, Dec. 19. Over the two days, Sunday and Monday, the average number of new confirmed cases is 2,275 per day according to state officials.
The figure does not include prisoners in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
According to the state’s county-by-county count issued Monday, Delta County had a total of 2,437 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 399 probable cases, 57 deaths and 17 probable deaths; Menominee County had 1,387 confirmed cases, 202 probable cases, and 24 deaths; Schoolcraft County had 196 confirmed cases, 16 probable cases, three deaths and one probable death.
Dec 22, 2020
DETROIT (AP) Families of men incarcerated at Michigan’s Kinross Correctional Facility believed its remote location would spare it from a deadly COVID-19 outbreak. For a while, they seemed to be right.
Kinross, built on the grounds of a former Air Force base in the Upper Peninsula, is closer to Canada than it is to Detroit. Unlike most prisons in Michigan, Kinross had remained almost unscathed by the novel coronavirus with only one case between March and October.
But on Oct. 28, corrections officials transferred nine prisoners to Kinross from Marquette Branch Prison, several hours west, where COVID-19 was running rampant. There were 837 confirmed cases by late October, 350 of which were still active when the men were transferred.
CARY ASPINWALL of The Marshall Project and ED WHITE of The Associated Press DETROIT Families of men incarcerated at Michigan’s Kinross Correctional Facility believed its remote location would spare it from a deadly COVID-19 outbreak. For a while, they seemed to be right. Kinross, built on the grounds of a former Air Force base in the Upper Peninsula, is closer to Canada than it is to Detroit. Unlike most prisons in Michigan, Kinross had remained almost unscathed by the novel coronavirus with only one case between March and October. But on Oct. 28, corrections officials transferred nine prisoners to Kinross from Marquette Branch Prison, several hours west, where COVID-19 was running rampant. There were 837 confirmed cases by late October, 350 of which were still active when the men were transferred.
COVID-19 death toll among Michigan inmates tops 100
More than 100 Michigan prison inmates have died of COVID-19, according to Michigan prison officials.
As of Tuesday, there have been 107 deaths of prisoners from the highly-contagious novel coronavirus, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections, prompting calls from inmate advocates for the state to grant more compassionate releases. The department has kept a running list of prisoners and corrections staff deaths online.
Inmates like Rickey Rimmer, who s at the Richard Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, described a scene comparable to a hospital sick ward. I ve got the COVID read bad . haven t eaten in 5 days . coughs, chills, no energy, Rimmer said Nov. 11. I m messed up. The nurse just told me I ve got a fever. I haven t been on the phone in a week. I know Momma is worried sick. I can t stand in line to get the phone, too weak. I think we all have a strong class action suit. This thing is real cuz.
COLDWATER Two Detroit area women and a Michigan Department of Corrections inmate were charged after a 22-month investigation for trying to smuggle contraband into Lakeland Corrections.
Tywanna Jones, 48, of Dearborn Heights, and Mellissa Martinez, 34, of Detroit, were arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges of conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to bring contraband into the prison, a 14-year felony, and five-year felony respectively.
Brown posted a $25,000 bond and will be arraigned in January.
The prisoner involved, Corey Kirksey, 45, was transferred to Ionia Prison, and will be arraigned at a later date.
Michigan State Police troopers were called to Lakeland on Feb 26, 2019. A FedEx package was delivered to an inmate. He denied he knew anything about the package which contained a music amplifier from a Lansing Music Store with a receipt.