“We are the forgotten Americans currently incarcerated at the Kinross Correctional Facility.”
Let us explain how the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged this facility and how our Governor not only failed us but also our fellow Michiganders. A major reason the virus spread like wildfire through the facility is because our living conditions are not in compliance with the CDC guidelines.
There is no social distancing when you’re housed in a “pole barn” open setting that holds 160 prisoners, two individual sides with 80 prisoners each, 10 cubicles that are approximately 18 feet by 12 feet. Each cube holds 8 prisoners, 4 sets of bunk beds, 8 lockers, all their personal property, and a table. We are given diluted bleach and cleaning supplies that are at least 98% water.
Our Governor issued an Executive Order to cancel visitations and transfers, but allowed the transfer of inmates from infected prison facilities to come to KCF.
On May 8,2020 Governor Whitmer ordered the National Guard to test all inmates housed at the Kinross Facility, after prisons in the mid & lower peninsula had been overrun by COVID-19. All inmates at the Kinross Correctional Facility tests came back negative.
On October 28,2020 Warden Brown followed an order from “Lansing” to accept the transport of several prisoners from the Marquette Branch prison. Because the Marquette Branch Prison was infected, the population became concerned about the new arrivals possibly infecting us. The Warden explained to each individual unit that the orders came from Lansing and that the prisoners would be tested before being placed into general population.
We personally observed the Warden assure inmates in H unit that the individuals from Marquette were not positive, and were not exposed to the virus because they were in segregation. He then placed a minimum of at least one prisoner in each of the eight housing units at Kinross, ensuring that if the prisoners from Marquette were actually infected that all eight housing units would be exposed to it instead of isolating it.
A week later two individual cubes from H & E’s unit were isolated in the control center. Two of the Marquette prisoners were among the cubicles taken but one was later released into population because he tested positive already and the virus was still in his system.
On November 10,2020 inmates received a notice on JPay from the administration that several officers had tested positive, none of which were in direct contact with the Marquette prisoners. On Nov 14,2020 inmates received another JPay administrative message that E, F, G, & H units were going into quarantine.
On Nov 16, 2020 all inmates were tested for the coronavirus. Before any test results were received, inmates started seeing symptoms and ambulance’s pulling inside the prison 4-6 times a day. The administration filled all empty bunks throughout the units with prisoners they deemed positive. 85% of the population were experiencing COVID related symptoms such as: fever, cold sweats, aching back, cough, head aches, dizziness, sore throat, lightheadedness, and feeling faint. Nurses didn’t come in the unit for at least the first week.
They also would scream things like “there are only 6 of us for 1,200 guys!” and “people in society are suffering too.” as if we were at fault. The administration began wearing protective eye wear, gloves, aprons/smocks, and M97 masks. Prisoners were not getting their vitamins for 9-14 days after they were infected and notified, and some prisoners have yet to receive them to this day.
Why were these precautions not being taken prior to the Correctional Officers finding out we were positive? Why didn’t all inmates at the facility get vitamins?
Why were inmates only given makeshift masks that are proven to only be 5-7% effective? Given our living conditions their effectiveness is even more minuscule.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the MDOC & Warden Mike Brown had 9 months to prepare for this outbreak. There are 34 prisons in Michigan and all of them had outbreaks before Kinross. Essentially, that is 33 examples of what to do and what not to do when it comes to covid.
There were things that should have been done like reducing the population to meet the CDC guidelines by sending inmates home on tether who were within 1-7 years from their actual release date or inmates who were more than 5 years misconduct free and parole eligible. There were inmates here who were parole eligible, in fact two inmates in H unit were days from going home when they tested positive for the virus.
The MDOC received money for testing from the Governor. Why were they officers routinely checked? Officers were given hazard pay to work. Why would you give someone an incentive to come to work in a covid free environment? Officers obviously ignored flu like symptoms and came to work to make the extra money, because they tested positive before we did.
In conclusion, there is negligence and reluctance by the MDOC and our Governor to act when she took an other to protect and serve ALL Michiganders. There has been a lack of concern and humanity for the fallen Michigan Americans whom society judged and sentenced to prison.
However, we were not sentenced to death.
We are your grandson, son, brother, father, husband, and friend who have not been treated as human beings, but as a commodity that the MDOC was willing to let die or get sick but not willing to show basic humanity. AS on 12-8-2020 there has been a reported 16,900 cases of COVID in the MDOC. 98 total deaths. Making Michigan one of or the highest in the U.S.
We are just a few of your forgotten Americans. In closing, we humbly ask that you pick up our struggle as your own. Spread this message through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Contact Gov. Whitmer herself to express our outrage
Signed our forgotten Americans,
Timothy Minnie #284988
Mark S. Kelsey #227588
Joei Jordan #954719
Johnnie Burkett #733604
Derek Danford #269412
I received this letter from my LO that he asked me to share publicly about the conditions that he and his fellow inmates are being forced to live in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.