Thread by @JoshuaBHoe

For the first time since June 2nd, we lost an incarcerated human as the result of COVID

This is the 69th human being who has died in Michigan prisons b/c of COVID

Much love to this persons family and friends, rest in peace, much love and empathy #LetMIPeopleGo

The death happened at Macomb correctional, where there has been a recent outbreak.

One thing we found out recently was that while all incarcerated people have been tested for COVID, until around a week ago, staff testing was voluntary

Sigh

While I support unions, sometimes they do not work in favor of public (or incarcerated) health imperatives.

The main vector for COVID entering our prisons is staff and vendors, not having mandatory testing and tracking is insane

In addition, way back in March we were already begging the Governor to commute the people who were most at risk from COVID (to make them eligible for parole consideration)....to date @GovWhitmer has still commuted ZERO people #LetMIPeopleGo

Michigan has a very odd process of commutations where a commutation from the governor does not make you eligible for release, it makes you eligible for parole (you have to go in front of the board).

Our argument has been that @GovWhitmer should make more eligible

Her response was to have the parole board meet more, but MOST of the people MOST AT RISK from COVID are not parole eligible but have severed long and indeterminate sentences and need relief

Commutation needs to be used in order to make the most at-risk people eligible