This information is from a loved one housed at Kinross:
Hey Jen,
Hello and good morning. I wanted to share my thoughts with you. So here are a few. Please feel free to share any and all with whomever you wish.
I wanted you to see and share a few of the messages that the warden and the MDOC have sent us in regards to what the CDC recommendations are for us to follow. I would also like to share that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, made a ruling in the case of Malam v Adducci, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112820, which stated the following: On June 13, 2020, the CDC formally recommended testing of all persons in “settings that house vulnerable populations in close quarters for extended periods of time,” including “correctional and detention facilities,” in order to enable “early identification of asymptomatic individuals.” Overview of testing for SARS-Co-2, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.CDC.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview. html#asymptomatic_without_exposure (last updated June 13, 2020). The CDC further recommends “initial testing of everyone residing and/or working in the setting, [r]egular (e.g., weekly) testing of everyone residing and/or working in the setting, and [t]esting of new entrants into the setting and/or those re-entering after a prolonged absence (e.g., one or more days).” Id.
The MDOC is or ought to be well aware of these CDC recommendations as they were out before June and yet they still have chosen to ignore them. Not because they didn’t like them, oh no, it’s because they chose to save money instead of saving lives. Now over 100 men and women have lost their lives due to the MDOC’s incompetence.
I just find it ironic that the warden and MDOC officials are always pretending to follow the CDC recommendations, but never actually follow any, oh wait, I’m sorry, they do pick and chose to follow 3 of the recommendations. 1. wash your hands. 2. wear an inferior mask that the MDOC provided to prisoners. 3. social distance whenever possible. Even though it’s literally impossible to social distance when I’m forced to be housed in a 12′ x 20′ cubicle with 7 other grown men.
Just think if they would have followed the CDC recommendation of regular (e.g., weekly) testing of staff. I would like to believe that 900+ prisoners here at KCF would not have had to suffer from this severe illness. Most importantly though, multiple men whom I walked and talked to regularly would not have had to lose their lives. My heart goes out to their families. Those men died because the MDOC and the warden here at KCF chose to ignore CDC recommendations and Judge Judith E. Levy’s court orders. Now that is the truth!!!
Here are a couple messages the warden here at KCF has sent us back in August.
** Please note that the only concerns are wearing a mask and to have your temperature taken. Funny how this didn’t stop the highest percentage of any population in the entire state prison system from infection.
__________________
08/27/2020
We are at the point where everyone must put forward the same effort to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID at the Kinross Correctional Facility. We are one of only a few facilities that have not had to experience COVID inside of the facility. STAFF AND PRISONERS HAVE THE SAME MASK MANDATES. Staff are being held accountable to always wear their masks other than when they are eating or drinking. Prisoners have the same expectation with the additional acceptances for sleeping and showering.
COVID positives are on the rise in our local communities. Prisoners are going off-site for various emergent needs and returning to the facility. The point is that we are more at risk now than we ever have been, but our population is more complacent than they have ever been. We are also entering the flu season and the symptoms of the flu mirror those of COVID. EVERYONE NEEDS TO WEAR THEIR MASK.
Staff will be providing direction to prisoners to wear their masks and will be issuing misconducts to gain compliance and assure the safety of all here at KCF.
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND HEALTHY. Thank you for your cooperation.
M. Brown, A/Warden
Kinross Correctional Facility
____________________
DATE: 08/13/2020
TO: KCF Population
FROM: Mike Brown, A/Warden
Kinross Correctional Facility
SUBJECT: In accordance with DOM 2020 30R4 – Prisoner COVID Screening
In accordance with Directors Office Memorandum (DOM 2020 30R4) and the continuing efforts to protect all MDOC Correctional facilities from the potential spread of Covid-19 – the following precautionary measures will be implemented:
All prisoners will be required to complete an initial prisoner MDOC COVID-19 screening questionnaire form.
The screening sheet will be disbursed on Monday, August 17 at 1100hrs and must be completed and returned to your PC/ARUS. You will not be allowed to attend any callout or work assignment until such time as this form is returned to your PC/ARUS.
All prisoners with work assignment details and/or scheduled callout will be required to have daily temperature checks taken by their Unit officer before being released to attend any callout or work assignment.
All prisoners with work assignment details and/or scheduled callout will be asked daily to report any changes on the COVID symptom screening form to their Unit officer before being released to attend any callout or work assignment.
Once daily checks are completed Unit officers will initial the prisoners daily itinerary so they may attend any work assignments and/or callouts for that day.
Failure to adhere to these requirements will result in the following restrictions:
lay-in from work assignment
cancellation of callout
We are in this together and want to make sure our facility is providing a safe environment. Please contact your shift command, RUM or PC/ARUS if you have any concerns.