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Prisons are failing to protect inmates from coronavirus

Mariah Daly • May 19, 2020

2,818 Confirmed active cases at 52 BOP facilities and 23 RRCs (Image provided by BOP)


As states begin to reopen just weeks after the coronavirus forced the country into quarantine, correctional facilities continue to be the nation’s most common breeding ground for the virus. To date, 2,818 federal inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). This total does not include inmates with cases not considered “open,” such as the 1,288 federal inmates who have recovered from COVID and the 50 federal inmates that have died as a result of COVID. Nor do these numbers account for inmates participating in the Federal Location Monitoring program or inmates held in privately managed prisons. On the state level, there have been at least 20,236 cases of COVID reported among inmates and at least 312 deaths. The numbers provided by the BOP likely understate the true figure of COVID cases and total death toll, as unconfirmed cases are unaccounted for and there is a widespread lack of testing in correctional facilities.


Since Attorney General Barr issued his March 26 Memoranda instructing the BOP to “prioritize home confinement as an appropriate response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the federal BOP has placed 2,471 inmates on home confinement — an increase of 87.5%. However, many state prisons have chosen an alternative path — mandating that inmates serve the entirety of their sentence, leaving them to intermingle and risk death instead of being released.


In late April, inmate Tiffany Mofield died of COVID after begging to be let out of a locked shower, saying that she “could not breathe” at New Jersey Prison, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. When Mofield began having symptoms of COVID, instead of being hospitalized, she was briefly placed in the prison infirmary and was given cold medicine and an over-the-counter inhaler. She was then forced to go back to the general prison population before she had recovered. Although Mofield was still experiencing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and respiratory distress, prison officials transported her to a small shower where she was locked inside with no emergency call box. After a few minutes of pleading with officials to release her from the shower, Mofield passed out and was found unconscious. She died as paramedics arrived. Mofield was almost done serving her five-year sentence.


Also in late April, Andrea Circle Bear became the first female federal inmate to die of COVID, just weeks after giving birth while on a ventilator. Last week in Michigan, inmates testified that officers had threatened to put them in the COVID-infected area as punishment. Incarcerated constituents of the Last Prisoner Project have reported being locked in their cells for days at a time, officers hoarding supplies like toilet paper, and being forced to hand-make masks out of underwear — the only viable elastic source — as facilities continue to deny prisoners access to basic hygiene products. In many state prisons, hand sanitizer is still considered contraband. The conditions inside jails and prisons during the pandemic have led some inmates, civil rights groups, and advocates to file lawsuits against the facilities.

By Adrian Rocha 28 Mar, 2024
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news Governor Youngkin has vetoed our cannabis sentence modification bill, SB 696. Under the bill, thousands of individuals charged for cannabis offenses under outdated laws would have had their sentences reevaluated in light of legalization. Instead, the Governor’s veto message not only ignored the intention of this bill but, more importantly, ignored the plight of thousands of families across the Commonwealth whose lives have been permanently altered by prohibitionist laws repealed three years ago! Virginia may have ended cannabis prohibition in 2021, but there remains a significant injustice for those individuals who continue to be incarcerated for offenses that are no longer considered illegal. According to the Virginia Department of Corrections, the average cost of housing an individual in custody is $33,994. Furthermore, as of 2023, Virginia has generated over $8 million in tax dollars from medical marijuana according to the US Census Bureau. Thus, SB 696 represents a critical step towards rectifying this injustice by allowing for the modification of sentences for individuals convicted of cannabis-related offenses. But the fight is not over. We still have an opportunity to let the people speak and encourage Virginia lawmakers to override this veto. It is important that you write to your state representative and senator to support SB 696 by voting to override Gov. Youngkin's veto and ensure justice for Virginians harmed by cannabis convictions. By joining the effort to override the veto and make SB 696 law, you have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that hundreds of Virginians with cannabis offenses have their sentences either reduced or vacated completely. This bill is not just about correcting legal inconsistencies; it is about improving public safety by providing individuals with the chance to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to their communities. Thank you to Marijuana Justice Virginia, Nolef Turns, the Virginia NAACP, NORML, the Virginia Student Power Network, The New Majority Virginia, Rise for Youth, and all the members of the CannaJustice Coalition for all of your hard work and dedication to ensure justice. We must continue until no one remains in prison for cannabis. Send a letter today!
By Stephen Post 25 Mar, 2024
Date and time: Wednesday, March 27 · 12 - 1pm PDT Location: 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Oakland, CA 94612 Primary Press Contact: Amber Senter, Executive Director of Supernova Women amber@supernovawomen.com Supernova Women alongside Last Prisoner Project , Drug Policy Alliance , and the California cannabis and California justice communities will hold a press conference at Oakland City Hall 12pm PST, to call on the federal government to decriminalize and deschedule cannabis. They will be joined by celebrity advocate Rosario Dawson. The call to action is being held in solidarity with the bi-partisan Unity Day of Action for comprehensive cannabis legalization occurring in Washington D.C. on April 18th. At the press conference, Supernova Women, Last Prisoner Project and Drug Policy Alliance will launch their sign-on letter from California cannabis stakeholders and justice advocates to President Biden calling for him to “support the descheduling of marijuana from the CSA and to take action to ensure that the federal government begins the work that California and now so many other states have started -- to acknowledge, end and address the harms of criminalization and to shift the federal government towards a federal framework that better promotes public health, public safety, equity and the will of the American people.” California stakeholders who support marijuana federal decriminalization are invited to sign-on to this petition . “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has suggested moving cannabis to Schedule 3, but this half-measure still perpetuates injustice, especially in Black and Brown communities.” Said Amber Senter, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Supernova Women. “It's time for complete descheduling to end the disastrous era of cannabis criminalization.” Despite 24 states and the District of Columbia having moved forward with adult-use cannabis laws, Congress has failed to send the President a comprehensive cannabis bill. The MORE act has passed the house twice led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Earl Bluemnaur. The Senate however has yet to vote on a comprehensive reform package. “Both Congress and the Biden Administration have an opportunity and responsibility to take immediate and comprehensive action to end our country’s failed approach to marijuana and right it wrongs. In order to end federal marijuana criminalization, marijuana must be descheduled – removed entirely from the Controlled Substances Act,” said Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at the Drug Policy Alliance. “From the streets of Oakland to the halls of Congress and the front gates of the White House, the people are demanding the full legalization of cannabis and the release of all cannabis prisoners.” Said Jason Ortiz, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project. “This issue is the most popular and bi-partisan issue in American politics. 70% of Americans support legalization, and we look forward to reminding the President of this fact, his campaign promises, and of our power to hold him accountable.” Scheduled speakers include: Amber Senter, Supernova Women Jason Ortiz, Last Prisoner Project Cat Packer, Drug Policy Alliance Rosario Dawson Julia Arroyo, Young Women's Freedom Center Evelyn LaChapelle, The Weed Lady Ross Gordon, National Craft Cannabis Coalition Jehan Laner, Immigrant Legal Resource Center Etienne Fontain, Veterans Action Council Ellen Komp, California NORML Chaney Turner, Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission More information about the event can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/yc27k64t ABOUT SUPERNOVA WOMEN Founded by Black and Brown women in 2015, Supernova Women is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to empower Black and Brown people to become self-sufficient shareholders in the cannabis and natural plant medicine space through education, advocacy, and network building. ABOUT LAST PRISONER PROJECT The Last Prisoner Project is dedicated to freeing those incarcerated due to the War on Drugs, reuniting their families, and helping them rebuild their lives. As laws change, there remains a fundamental injustice for individuals whose conviction is no longer a crime. We work to repair these harms through legal intervention, constituent support, direct advocacy, and policy change. Visit www.lastprisonerproject.org or text FREEDOM to 24365 to learn more. ABOUT THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE The Drug Policy Alliance is the leading organization in the U.S. working to end the drug war, repair its harms, and build a non-punitive, equitable, and regulated drug market. We envision a world that embraces the full humanity of people, regardless of their relationship to drugs. We advocate that the regulation of drugs be grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. In collaboration with other movements and at every policy level, we change laws, advance justice, and save lives. Learn more at drugpolicy.org .
By Stephen Post 21 Mar, 2024
The company’s $100,000 donation to Last Prisoner Project in December of last year has already made big impacts to those most affected by the War on Drugs. PHOENIX, Ariz. (February 26, 2024) – HBI International, established independent and international producers of the RAW® brand of plant-based rolling papers and innovative smoking accessories, is honored to share that the company’s 2023 donation to Last Prisoner Project, is seeing profound impacts on individuals who have recently been released from incarceration on cannabis-related charges. The company donated $100,000 to Last Prisoner Project, an organization that aims to free everyone incarcerated for cannabis charges through public education and advocacy, in December, 2023. Half of the funds were allocated to provide re-entry support for those recently released from prison on cannabis-related charges. The other half of the donation is allocated toward funding programs to assist those who were incarcerated under non-violent, cannabis-related crimes. “While our customers are rolling up with our papers, thousands of people remain wrongfully jailed for nonviolent cannabis offenses,” said Josh Kesselman, founder and CEO of the company behind RAW. “We are proud to be part of the solution through our donations to Last Prisoner Project, an organization that is truly putting in the work to reform our criminal justice system.” The Last Prisoner Project recently shared the real-life stories of constituents working to rebuild their lives who have been impacted by RAW’s donation. The affected individuals include Kyle Page, who spent six years incarcerated for a non-violent cannabis offense, and Stephanie Shepard, who was sentenced to ten years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for a first-time, non-violent cannabis offense. Shepard now serves as the Last Prisoner Project’s director of advocacy and chairwoman on the board of directors. “We are grateful for the generous donation from Josh Kesselman and the team at RAW, which has helped us facilitate the liberation of non-violent cannabis offenders, as well as fund our push for systemic change,” said Mary Bailey, managing director at Last Prisoner Project. “In just a few short months, RAW’s donation has provided significant impacts to our organization.” Officially launched in 2005, following years of research and development, RAW Rolling Papers has garnered a reputation for excellence. The minimalist branding, plant-based materials, and smooth smoking experience have elevated RAW into an iconic brand recognized around the world. RAW produces a large portfolio of rolling papers, cones, tips, apparel, and other smoking gear. The Last Prisoner Project was founded in 2019 with a mission to reform America’s policy of cannabis prohibition and free those incarcerated due to the impacts of the War on Drugs. The organization works toward policy changes, provides re-entry support to newly released individuals, and engages in direct advocacy for criminal justice reform. ### About RAW Rolling Papers Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and launched in 2005 by Josh Kesselman, RAW is an independent, global brand producing plant-based rolling papers and other smoking accessories. Their unbleached, slow-burning papers are the preferred product for millions of smokers. The company is committed to sustainability and social good and, through its RAW Giving initiative, has provided millions of dollars in direct cash contributions for many charities, including those that work to provide access to clean water and rescue homeless pets. For more information, visit: rawthentic.com . About Last Prisoner Project The Last Prisoner Project is dedicated to freeing those incarcerated due to the War on Drugs, reuniting their families, and helping them rebuild their lives. As laws change, there remains a fundamental injustice for individuals whose conviction is no longer a crime. We work to repair these harms through legal intervention, constituent support, direct advocacy, and policy change. Visit www.lastprisonerproject.org or text FREEDOM to 24365 to learn more. Media Contact: Sadie Thompson Proven Media 602-527-0794 sadie@provenmedia.com
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