The federal government is letting relatively young women die from neglect in its prisons. We saw it with Andrea High Bear, of course. Yesterday, a 44-year-old woman died at Carswell. Today, a 34-year-old at Coleman.
Repeat, just 34 years old. Her name was Saferia Johnson. She has two children under the age of 7. Ms. Johnson was sentenced two years ago to 6 years in prison for identity theft and tax fraud. She and her co-defendants stole $2 million from the government.
The prosecutor at her sentencing said her sentence showed “that easy money means hard time in the federal criminal justice system.” It turns out it actually meant death.
No one saw COVID coming, at least no one in the BOP. I get it. But at what point are we going to let women (and men) – like Saferia Johnson – who have underlying health conditions, just die from neglect?
The BOP has the authority to get every vulnerable person out of harm’s way. There might be some difficult calls, as in cases where the person committed a very serious crime or represents an ongoing threat to the public. Saferia Johnson was not a close call.
Andrea High Bear was not a close call. It is not March. We know more about this disease and who is most at-risk. We know that AG Barr was wrong; federal prison is not safe for people during a pandemic. Masks don’t work if BOP officers aren’t going to wear theirs.
We need to get more vulnerable people out now – through compassionate release, on home confinement, or on furlough. We know too much now to keep letting young women die in our disease-ridden prisons. Wishing peace and strength to Ms. Johnson’s children and family.
