coronavirus in prisons

February 12 2021

CT Mirror: Blame for Coronavirus Spread in Prisons Belongs to Guards who Don’t Wear Masks, By Chandra Bozelko

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Chandra Bozelko writes the award-winning blog Prison Diaries. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChandraBozelko and email her at outlawcolumn@gmail.com. She is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. – Jeff

By Chandra Bozelko

Reprinted from The Connecticut Mirror, Feb. 12, 2021

Columns share an author’s personal perspective.

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In April, former Commissioner of Department of Correction (DOC) Rollin Cook issued a department-wide memorandum requiring staff “to wear protective face-masks while on duty whenever social distancing is not possible.”

Chandra Bozelko

Corrections officers in Connecticut aren’t obeying this instruction. They’re not wearing masks, at least not properly and definitely not consistently. That’s what’s caused the precipitous rise in the number of infections and deaths of incarcerated people. As of February 5, 3,816 inmates had tested positive and 19 of them have died from COVID-19 complications; six passed away inside of a month. But none had died between May 26 and November 18, and the positivity rate during that time was around 1%. This spread is a more recent phenomenon.

There are only three ways the virus can reliably enter a correctional facility: visits, new admissions and/or staff. The realities of prison life during COVID-19 take the first two options out of contention. It’s most likely that the staff who’s spreading the disease.

Visits can’t be the cause of the spread because in-person visits that allow contact have been suspended since March; the resumption of visits in October limited them to non-contact, which means the inmate and the visitor don’t even breathe the same air.

New admissions aren’t causing the spread, either. Incoming inmates are kept in quarantine for two weeks, more than enough time to assure that they’re not infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It’s the lack of masks on the staff that’s causing the spread. That’s where the evidence points.

While it’s been hard to connect with inmates because of a lockdown imposed to slow the virus’s spread, a few prisoners have reported the non-use of masks to family and friends.

A relative of a model inmate at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution reports that he’s witnessed prisoners asking officers to fix their masks or put them on, only to be told to mind their own business. According to this relative, repercussions are sure to follow — like mail tampering — if anyone complains about their not wearing masks.

Another woman took pictures of guards when she retrieved her cell phone from the lockers outside the visiting room at the same prison, MacDougall-Walker CI. One officer wasn’t wearing a mask at all and another had it slung around his chin.

A female inmate at York Correctional Institution, the state’s only women’s prison, that went without a single infection until September 2020, says guards aren’t wearing masks and she witnessed one maskless guard ask where he could get a COVID test.

It’s not just the staff’s refusal to wear masks. Another man who spent a month at Bridgeport Correctional Center said that inmates who make their own masks are often punished for it. While a shirt or a sheet fashioned into a mask can, in theory, be considered contraband, the wisdom of punishing an attempt to protect one’s own health, and others’, is questionable.

But the most damning evidence that staff isn’t wearing masks is an official report by the Monitoring Panel — a group of five people (two chosen by the ACLU, two chosen by the DOC and a fifth chosen by the original four — established through the settlement with the state in the suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Connecticut in April 2020, captioned McPherson v. Lamont, to protect incarcerated people from the novel coronavirus. When provided the opportunity to prove their obedience to the rules, correctional staff blew it. The Monitoring Panel conducted two site visits where they reported that “most” of the officers and inmates observed were wearing masks when they toured.

Site visits to prisons rarely meet their expectations for oversight. When I was incarcerated at York CI, I watched last minute scrambles to throw fresh paint over dirty walls and to make the facility appear clean and in compliance when it probably wasn’t.

I would expect that all staff would have donned a mask, if only for the moments that the Monitoring Panel passed through. If they didn’t all have them on while these outsiders peered over the facility, then staff is wearing them even less frequently when overseers aren’t around. The DOC knows this; its current Commissioner, Angel Quiros, admitted that the mask directive was only “mostly” followed.

Elana Bildner, an attorney with the ACLU of Connecticut and one of two lawyers who represented plaintiffs in the McPherson suit, says that her office receives numerous complaints that identify the date, time and place within the prison where staff members don’t have masks on.

Bildner confronted the DOC’s counsel, the Attorney General’s office, about it, only to be advised that there’s no way to review security camera footage because an agreement with the state’s unions, AFSCME Council 4’s Local 1565 and Service Employee International Union’s Connecticut State Employees Association (CSEA) Local 760, prohibits it. “They cannot be disciplined for not wearing masks based on video footage,” Bildner said she’s been told.

But that doesn’t seem to be true. Neither the collective bargaining agreements for AFSCME Local 1565 nor CSEA 760 mention the ability to review surveillance cameras. When asked for comment, David Glidden, Executive Director of CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, and Jody Barr, Executive Director, AFSCME Council 4, issued a joint statement. They couldn’t confirm that any such provision existed and also didn’t deny that staff wasn’t wearing masks, instead noting that “the unions with members at DOC have been pushing hard for appropriate PPE” and have been “outspoken and united in their advocacy for the maximum safety precautions.”

An email requesting clarification wasn’t answered by the Assistant Attorney General who acts as lead counsel for DOC in the McPherson v. Lamont litigation, Terrence O’Neill.

There’s no reason why the DOC can’t find the anti-masker employees as identified to the ACLU and order them wear masks — and do so properly. It doesn’t necessarily entail punishing them; after all, the department supposedly specializes in correction. But Commissioner Quiros admitted that he hadn’t reached the discipline level of enforcement. Maybe with 19 people dead, it’s time to start.

It’s not as if these same officers aren’t subject to rules about what they wear to work. In fact, DOC’s Administrative Directive 2.13 contains uniform and appearance requirements that are even more obtrusive. It includes rules on how long mustaches can be. It bans female officers from painting their nails with purple, blue or gold nail polish and none of them can wear white socks. If the officers can abide by those restrictions then surely they can follow the departmental rule that would save lives.

To be fair, the original mask memo was written when health experts didn’t know as much about the spread of the virus. It directed that masks were necessary when social distance of six feet was impossible. Now we know masks are necessary regardless of the stretch of space between two people.

I predict that guards will shift blame to the poor ventilation systems in prisons. The problem with that explanation is that there’s no epidemiological evidence supporting the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 is spread through heating and cooling ducts. The much more likely source of spread is contact with an infected person who isn’t wearing a mask.

Masks’ efficacy in reducing the spread of the virus — and even the resulting death rate — has been proven over and over again. And masking advice has changed and updated itself since the initial memo from former Commissioner Cook, even advancing to a direction to wear two masks now.

Correction officers’ refusal to wear masks is poised only to get worse. As of February 1, guards are getting vaccinated and even less fearful of the virus and Governor Lamont’s isn’t honoring his promise to include all inmates in Phase 1b of vaccination, at least not as advocates envisioned. The McPherson settlement agreement that exerted some control on internal processes expired on December 31, 2020 so the Monitoring Panel that found most staff masked won’t be going back in, not without another judicial intervention.

It’s becoming clear that Commissioner Quiros must pen another memo, post haste, that explains that a mask across a guard’s face — nose and mouth — is part of their uniform, at least for the duration of the pandemic, regardless of distance from the inmates. Then he must subject them to discipline if they don’t comply. More people will die if he doesn’t.

Chandra Bozelko writes the award-winning blog Prison Diaries. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChandraBozelko and email her at outlawcolumn@gmail.com.

Bozelko Column: Prisons More Secure than the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 8, 2021

Bozelko Column: 2020 Through the Lens of My Inbox, Dec. 24, 2020

Boston Globe: I Cut the Prison Phone Cord, But Not Intentionally, Nov. 17, 2020

Bozelko Column: Trump’s Not Your Man on Criminal Justice, Oct. 31, 2020

Bozelko column: CARES Act payments to prisoners problematic, Oct. 23, 2020

Bozelko column: SCOTUS nominee’s dissent on guns for felons deserves more attention, Oct. 16, 2020

August 13 2020

White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Erin Harbinson & Jay Kennedy

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White Collar Week with Jeff Grant
A Podcast Serving the White Collar Justice Community

Limited 10-Episode Run: Summer 2020

It’s the Isolation that Destroys Us. The Solution is in Community.

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Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson

Today on the podcast we have four criminal justice professors at four different universities around the country. From the University of Minnesota, we have Erin Harbinson. From Montclair State, we have Jessica Henry. Joining us from Michigan State is Jay Kennedy. And from Pace University, we have my friend Cathryn Lavery.

Our guests are on the forefront of reimagining our criminal justice system at a critical time in our nation’s history – when a pandemic, social unrest, a Presidential election, and the media all call for rapid responses to very complicated issues. Issues that each have dedicated their life’s work to researching and teaching.

I was most impressed with the raw humanity in this episode, and how much all of our guests really care about people in the most difficult circumstances we could imagine.

So, coming up – The Academics. On White Collar Week. I hope you will join us. – Jeff

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

Listen on Spotify:

Listen on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/whitecollarweek/white-collar-week-ep-08-the-academics

Watch on YouTube:

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If you have a friend, family member, colleague or client with a white collar justice issue, please forward this email; they can reach us anytime – day or night! Our contact info: http://prisonist.org/contact-us.

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Guests on this Episode:

Dr. Jay P. Kennedy is an assistant professor jointly appointed to the School of Criminal Justice and the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection. He is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Michigan State University Graduate School, and Affiliated Faculty with the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and the Center for Business and Social Analytics. Dr. Kennedy is actively involved in research, education, and outreach efforts that focus on external partners including corporations, industry associations, and law enforcement agencies. His current research explores managerial and organizational responses to employee theft within small and medium enterprises, the incarceration and post-incarceration experiences of white-collar offenders, the sale of counterfeit goods on the Internet, and the structure of occupational pharmaceutical counterfeiting schemes. Dr. Kennedy’s work has been published in a number of outlets, including American Behavioral Scientist, Criminal Justice Review, Journal of Crime and Justice, Journal of Financial Crime, Security Journal, and Victims and Offenders. He is currently serving as an elected board member of the American Society of Criminology’s Division of White-Collar and Corporate Crime and is an editorial board member of the Journal of White-Collar and Corporate Crime and the International Journal of Cybercrime Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Jay Kennedy can be reached at jpk@msu.edu.

Cathryn Lavery, MS, MA PhD, received her PhD in Criminal Justice from the Graduate Center/City University of New York with a specialization in Forensic Psychology and Ethics. Dr. Lavery is an active trainer, educator, researcher and consultant. She has trained on a variety of topics including: program curriculum and policy development, leadership training, sexual harassment, behavioral and mental health. She has coordinated and executed numerous conferences and seminars for multiple agencies in areas of sexual harassment, recruitment and retention and security threat assessment. She has worked within public educational settings, law enforcement and correctional agencies. Areas of expertise and consulting include: socio-political risk management, criminal justice and public administration issues, assessment and program evaluation, leadership development, sexual harassment and policy development, cultural sensitivity and intergenerational challenges within public and private agencies. After previously working at John Jay College/CUNY, Sacred Heart University and Iona College, where she was Chair and Graduate Coordinator for over 8 years, Dr. Cathryn has recently accepted the position of Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Pace University. Cathryn Lavery can be reached at clavery@pace.edu.

Erin Harbinson is a Research Scholar for the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota Law School, where she works on research projects studying probation and parole. She received her PhD in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Harbinson’s dissertation examined the predictive validity of a correctional risk and needs assessment for people convicted of white-collar crimes. Prior to joining the Robina Institute, she worked as a policy analyst for the Council of State Governments Justice Center by providing technical assistance to states implementing justice reinvestment legislation and data driven policies. Dr. Harbinson has experience evaluating correctional programs and conducting training for correctional staff on risk assessment and other evidence-based practices in corrections. Her research interests include corrections policy, community supervision, parole decision-making, and understanding how corrections can reduce recidivism among people convicted of white-collar crimes and cybercrimes. Erin Harbinson can be reached at eharbins@uofminn.edu.

Jessica S. Henry is the author of SMOKE BUT NO FIRE: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened. She was a public defender for nearly ten years in New York City before joining the Department of Justice Studies at Montclair State University, where she is an associate professor. She is also a criminal justice expert, legal commentator, and blogger, with a particular focus on wrongful convictions, police corruption and misconduct, mass incarceration, and the death penalty. Jessica Henry can be reached a jessicahenryjustice.com. Jessica’s new book, Smoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened, can be purchased on Amazon.com.

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You can find all episodes of our podcast “White Collar Week with Jeff Grant” on our website prisonist.org, our Facebook page, Podbean, YouTube (video), SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Information About our White Collar Support Group…

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Louis Reed/Babz Rawls Ivy PSA:

Some very kind words from my dear friends Louis L. Reed and Babz Rawls Ivy in this brief PSA. Thank you Louis and Babz! – Jeff

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All Episodes:

Link here to Podcast Ep. 20: Glenn E. Martin & Richard Bronson: Reinventing Yourself After Prison

Link here to Podcast Ep. 19: Insider Trading Charges Dismissed, with Guest Richard Lee

Link here to Podcast Ep. 18: Is Your Life a Movie? The Producers, with Guests: Lydia B. Smith, Bethany Jones & Will Nix

Link here to Podcast Ep. 17: #TruthHeals: Systemic Abuse & Institutional Reform with Vanessa Osage, feat. Guest Co-Host Chloe Coppola

Link here to Podcast Ep. 16: Politicians, Prison & Penitence, with Guest: Bridgeport, CT Mayor Joseph Ganim

Link here to Podcast Ep. 15: A Brave Talk About Suicide, with Guests Bob Flanagan, Elizabeth Kelley, & Meredith Atwood

Link here to Podcast Ep. 14: Recovery & Neighborhood, with Guest: TNP’s Tom Scott

Link here to Podcast Ep. 13: Everything but Bridgegate, with Guest: Bill Baroni

Link here to Podcast Ep. 12: The Truth Tellers, with Guests: Holli Coulman & Larry Levine

Link here to Podcast Ep. 11: The Blank Canvas, with Guest: Craig Stanland

Link here to Podcast Ep. 10: The Ministers, with Guests: Father Joe Ciccone & Father Rix Thorsell

Link here to Podcast Ep. 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest: Taxgirl Kelly Phillips Erb

Link here to Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson

Link here to Podcast Ep. 07: White Collar Wives. with Guests: Lynn Springer, Cassie Monaco & Julie Bennett. Special Guest: Skylar Cluett

Link here to Podcast Ep. 06: Madoff Talks, with Guest: Jim Campbell

Link here to Podcast Ep. 05: Trauma and Healing when Mom goes to Prison, with Guests: Jacqueline Polverari and Her Daughters, Alexa & Maria

Link here to Podcast Ep. 04: One-on-One with Tipper X: Tom Hardin

Link here to Podcast Ep. 03: Compassionate Lawyering: Guests, Chris Poulos, Corey Brinson, Bob Herbst & George Hritz

Link here to Podcast Ep. 02: Substance Abuse & Recovery During COVID-19: Guests, Trevor Shevin & Joshua Cagney

Link here to Podcast Ep. 01: Prison & Reentry in the Age of COVID-19: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group.

Link here to Podcast Ep. 00: White Collar Week with Jeff Grant: What is White Collar Week?

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Welcome to White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, a podcast serving the white collar justice community. It’s the isolation that destroys us. The solution is in community.

If you are interested in this podcast, then you are probably already a member of the white collar justice community – even if you don’t quite know it yet. Our community is certainly made up of people being prosecuted, or who have already been prosecuted, for white collar crimes. But it is also made up of the spouses, children and families of those prosecuted for white collar crimes – these are the first victims of white collar crime. And the community also consists of the other victims, both direct and indirect, and those in the wider white collar ecosystem like friends, colleagues, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, academics, researchers. Investigators, mitigation experts, corrections officers, reentry professionals, mental health care professionals, drug and alcohol counselors, – and ministers, chaplains and advocates for criminal and social justice reform. The list goes on and on…

In this very eventful summer 2020, our mission is to introduce you to other members of the white collar justice community, to hear their very personal stories, and hopefully gain a broader perspective of what this is really all about. Maybe this will inspire some deeper thoughts and introspection? Maybe it will inspire some empathy and compassion for people you might otherwise resent or dismiss? And maybe it will help lift us all out of our own isolation and into community, so we can learn to live again in the sunshine of the spirit.

Along the way, I’ll share with you some of the things I’ve learned in my own journey from successful lawyer, to prescription opioid addict, white collar crime, suicide attempt, disbarment, destruction of my marriage, and the almost 14 months I served in a Federal prison. And also my recovery, love story I share with my wife Lynn Springer, after prison earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, pastoring in an inner city church in Bridgeport CT, and then co-founding with Lynn in Greenwich CT, Progressive Prison Ministries, the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community. It’s been quite a ride, but I firmly believe that the best is yet to come.

So I invite you to come along with me as we experience something new, and bold, and different this summer – a podcast that serves the entire white collar justice community. I hope you will join me.

Blessings, לשלום

Jeff

Rev. Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. (he, him, his)
Co-founder, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., Greenwich CT & Nationwide
Co-host, The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast
Host, White Collar Week
Mailing: P.O. Box 1, Woodbury, CT 06798
Website: prisonist.org
Email: jgrant@prisonist.org
Office: 203-405-6249
Donations (501c3): http://bit.ly/donate35T9kMZ
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jeff-grant-woodbury-ct/731344
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revjeffgrant
not a prison coach, not a prison consultant

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Thank you for listening to White Collar Week.

Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast if you loved it – it helps others suffering in silence find us if they need us!

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Follow Jeff Grant on Social:

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Want to be a guest on the Show? Have a connection you’d like to make?

Credits:

Host: Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div.

Audio Engineering: George Antonios: https://georgeantonios.com

Video Engineering: Todd Nixon

Art Direction: Greyskye Marketing, LLC: https://greyskye.com

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Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar justice community. Founded by husband and wife, Jeff Grant and Lynn Springer in Greenwich CT in 2012, we incorporated as a nonprofit in Connecticut in 2014, and received 501(c)(3) status in 2015. Jeff has over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law (former), reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), and executive and religious leadership. As Jeff was incarcerated for a white-collar crime he committed in 2001, he and Lynn have a first-hand perspective on the trials and tribulations that white-collar families have to endure as they navigate the criminal justice system and life beyond.

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is nonsectarian, serving those of all faiths, or no faith whatsoever. To date we have helped over three hundred fifty (350) individuals, and their families, to accept responsibility for their actions and to acknowledge the pain they have caused to others. In accordance with our commitment to restorative justice, we counsel our members to make amends as a first step in changing their lives and moving towards a new spiritual way of living centered on hope, care, compassion, tolerance, empathy and service to others. Our team has grown to over ten people, most with advanced degrees, all of whom are currently volunteering their time and resources.

Progressive Prison Ministries’ goal is to provide spiritual solutions and emotional support to those who are feeling alone, isolated, and hopeless. We have found that these individuals are suffering from a void but are stuck, and don’t know what to do about it. Our objective is to help them find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what may seem like insurmountable problems. Many of those we counsel are in a place where their previous lives have come to an end due to their transgressions. In many cases their legal problems have led to divorce, estrangement from their children, families, friends and support communities, and loss of a career. The toll this takes on individuals and families is emotionally devastating. White-collar crimes are often precipitated by other issues in the offenders’ lives such as alcohol or drug abuse, and/or a physical or mental illness that lead to financial issues that overwhelms their ability to be present for themselves and their families and cause poor decision making. We recognize that life often presents us with such circumstances, sometimes which lead us to make mistakes in violation of the law.

All conversations and communications between our ordained ministry, and licensed clinical relationships, and those we serve fall under state privilege laws. This is one reason that attorneys often allow and encourage their clients to maintain relationships with us while in active prosecution or litigation situations.

If you, a friend, family member, colleague or client are suffering from a white collar criminal justice issue or are experiencing some other traumatic or life-altering event, and would like to find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what seems like insurmountable problems, please contact us to schedule an initial call or appointment.

Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.

March 26 2020

A White Collar Prayer: To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Jeff Grant Blog congress, coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, covid-19, criminal justice, federal bureau of prisons, Federal prison, incarceration, JEFF GRANT, open letter, pandemic, prayer, president trump, prison coach, prison consultant, prison minister, prisonist.org, progressive prison ministries, surgeon general, white collar, white house coronavirus task force, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He was sentenced to serve over two years in Federal Prison for a white collar crime, and is scheduled to report next month. He sent me this prayer letter and asked me to post it on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It hosts a White Collar Support Group meeting online on Zoom every Monday at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here. We will be hosting our 200th consecutive weekly meeting online on Monday, April 13, 2020.

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To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,

On behalf of all those who are incarcerated, waiting to report or are in the process of working through the criminal justice system I write this prayer letter to bring a voice to our plight. As I am preparing to report to a federal prison, I believe it’s important that we do whatever I (we) can to advocate for ourselves.

“Early on in this pandemic, we learned that, as with other closed spaces such as cruise ships and nursing homes, the covid-19 coronavirus spread rapidly in Chinese correctional facilities. Now the United States, which leads the world when it comes to incarceration, faces that same challenge.”

The question on the minds of those that have family members in prison or waiting to report is what the government will do to intervene on our behalf. The most common recommendation put forward by the ACLU and other organizations is to reduce the population inside prisons and avoid the reporting of any new inmates unless the circumstances of the crime warrant removal from general population. Prison reform (The First Step Act) was signed into law in 2018 in order to address some of the many issues that have plagued our system for years. Like any change in law the process is slow and the suffering of those who are most affected take much too long to implement.

As the coronavirus continues to spread it has made its way into prisons and reports of infections are increasing daily. There have been numerous reports warning that this was inevitable due to the close proximity of the living quarters, where inmates share bathrooms, laundry and eating areas. As reported in the New York Times “jails experience a daily influx of correctional staff, vendors, health care workers, educators and visitors — all of whom carry viral conditions at the prison back to their homes and communities and return the next day packing the germs from back home. How will we prevent incarcerated people and those who work in these institutions from becoming ill and spreading the virus?” It’s obvious that it is impossible to avoid an outbreak in prisons even during the best of times.

Personal and societal change is difficult to achieve and is generally precipitated by some traumatic event such as COVID-19. This is especially true when it comes to laws that have been baked into our judicial system for many years. This pandemic is a national emergency that affects everyone. For those of us who are desperate to see change it is time that government and those that truly believe in criminal justice reform take immediate action to avoid the growing disaster that is happening in our nation’s prisons. For nonviolent offenders with low risk of recidivism there are other options that must be considered in order to avoid causing further harm. In a letter to Attorney General Barr dated March 20th from Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congresswomen Karen Bass they demanded answers on a multitude of suggestions that were made in a March 12th letter that would help during this pandemic and have yet to be addressed. “During this national emergency, DOJ should be doing all it can to increase social distancing and decrease movement to prevent further proliferation of COVID-19. This means that the Department must limit the number of inmates being brought into the system”

There are other options. A petition in support of home confinement to lessen camper’s exposure to the deadly COVID-19 virus has garnered over 40,000 signatures as of today. Please share.

It is up to us as individuals to make sure our voices are heard and the word spreads faster than the virus itself. We can’t afford to wait for things to get better and allow people to forget what we are going through right now.

Respectfully submitted,

A Soon-to-be Federal Inmate

March 26 2020

A White Collar Prayer: To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons

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To President Trump, Members of Congress, Surgeon General, Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force & Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,
On behalf of all those who are incarcerated, waiting to report or are in the process of working through the criminal justice system I write this prayer letter to bring a voice to our plight. As I am preparing to report to a federal prison, I believe it’s important that we do whatever I (we) can to advocate for ourselves.
“Early on in this pandemic, we learned that, as with other closed spaces such as cruise ships and nursing homes, the covid-19 coronavirus spread rapidly in Chinese correctional facilities. Now the United States, which leads the world when it comes to incarceration, faces that same challenge.”
The question on the minds of those that have family members in prison or waiting to report is what the government will do to intervene on our behalf. The most common recommendation put forward by the ACLU and other organizations is to reduce the population inside prisons and avoid the reporting of any new inmates unless the circumstances of the crime warrant removal from general population. Prison reform (The First Step Act) was signed into law in 2018 in order to address some of the many issues that have plagued our system for years. Like any change in law the process is slow and the suffering of those who are most affected take much too long to implement.
As the coronavirus continues to spread it has made its way into prisons and reports of infections are increasing daily. There have been numerous reports warning that this was inevitable due to the close proximity of the living quarters, where inmates share bathrooms, laundry and eating areas. As reported in the New York Times “jails experience a daily influx of correctional staff, vendors, health care workers, educators and visitors — all of whom carry viral conditions at the prison back to their homes and communities and return the next day packing the germs from back home. How will we prevent incarcerated people and those who work in these institutions from becoming ill and spreading the virus?” It’s obvious that it is impossible to avoid an outbreak in prisons even during the best of times.
Personal and societal change is difficult to achieve and is generally precipitated by some traumatic event such as COVID-19. This is especially true when it comes to laws that have been baked into our judicial system for many years. This pandemic is a national emergency that affects everyone. For those of us who are desperate to see change it is time that government and those that truly believe in criminal justice reform take immediate action to avoid the growing disaster that is happening in our nation’s prisons. For nonviolent offenders with low risk of recidivism there are other options that must be considered in order to avoid causing further harm. In a letter to Attorney General Barr dated March 20th from Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congresswomen Karen Bass they demanded answers on a multitude of suggestions that were made in a March 12th letter that would help during this pandemic and have yet to be addressed. “During this national emergency, DOJ should be doing all it can to increase social distancing and decrease movement to prevent further proliferation of COVID-19. This means that the Department must limit the number of inmates being brought into the system”

When we fail to consider all the costs and consequences of our system of mass incarceration, we run the risk of making a bad situation like this even worse. The justification for protecting public safety with imprisonment must be reassessed during this time as public safety will be at even greater danger if we fail to mitigate risks associated with confining too many people in jails, prisons, prison camps and detention facilities during a pandemic.
There are other options. A petition in support of home confinement to lessen camper’s exposure to the deadly COVID-19 virus has garnered over 40,000 signatures as of today. Please share.
It is up to us as individuals to make sure our voices are heard and the word spreads faster than the virus itself. We can’t afford to wait for things to get better and allow people to forget what we are going through right now.
Respectfully submitted,
A Soon-to-be Federal Inmate

March 18 2020

White Collar Support Group: From Arrest to Sentencing: My Journey Through the Criminal Justice System

Jeff Grant Blog coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, faith, Federal prison, incarceration, JEFF GRANT, mental illness, prison, prison coach, prison consultant, prisonist.org, progressive prison ministries, second chance, white collar, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He was sentenced to serve over two years in Federal Prison for a white collar crime, and is scheduled to report next month. He sent me this blog and asked me to post it on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant

Click here to read our article, “After Trauma: The Time for Spiritual Growth.”

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It hosts a White Collar Support Group online on Zoom every Monday at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here. We will be hosting our 200th consecutive weekly meeting online on Monday, April 13, 2020.

After almost two years of emotional distress the waiting was finally over. Sentencing day had arrived. Like anyone that has been arrested the initial shock and trauma is like a multi car wreck. The devastation and injuries (in this case emotional) affect more than just yourself. My wife, kids, family, business partners and friends on some level became part of the collateral damage of this unfortunate event. As I was leaving my home in handcuffs, I had my wife call my corporate attorney hoping he could suggest a lawyer who specialized in criminal defense. Finding the right lawyer is the most important step in the whole process as it will set the stage for receiving the best possible outcome. Unless you are a career criminal you will not have this type of attorney in your rolodex. Unfortunately, you are so traumatized that you don’t have time to investigate the best possible option for who you should retain. Great lawyers are like great doctors they both can be saviors when you pick the right one. Unfortunately, in an emergency you tend to react to the situation with desperation to provide immediate relief. I wish I had the good sense after making bail to take my time and explore my options regarding choice of attorney.

Once arrested and indicted you are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, I believe there is a concerted effort by law enforcement to place as much fear and pressure on you in order to gain an advantage at trial or in garnering an admission that leads to a guilty plea. Why else would you send a large contingent of FBI agents to someone’s home at 6:00am to arrest somebody with no prior criminal record?

Intimidation is one of the best tools at the government’s disposal. Even though you are presumed innocent until proven guilty it doesn’t stop the government from using the press to garner public support for their theories regardless of whether they are truthful or not. Here again the government takes liberty with their ability to destroy your reputation without fear of reprisal.

Now I do want to make clear that there was probable cause that supported some of the governments theories but there was plenty of factors that had I gone to trial may have placed reasonable doubt in a juror’s mind. The problem is that the decision I made to take a plea was based on factors not related to innocence or guilt. The greatest deterrent was my financial ability to pay my lawyers and the risk of a longer sentence if I lost at trial. At the time of plea negotiations, I had already spent $300,000 and would have needed to spend at least another $200,000 to get through trial. For the average citizen this is an impossible situation. My desire to go to trial to assert my constitutional rights became a financial decision as opposed to a reasoned one. How is this a fair process? Citizens are fighting against an adversary with unlimited resources at their disposal. It’s not a surprise that the government wins 97% of its cases through trial and plea agreements. By nature, I am a fighter and wanted to continue my fight but through poor decisions I had made that brought me to this point my lawyers felt there was a good chance I would lose at trial. An additional problem was my plea negotiations started so close to my trial date (due to a change in lawyers) that I lost any leverage I would have had if I started negotiations from the beginning. My first lawyers wanted to go to trial and told me it would cost an additional $350,000 but for what I believe was a money motivated decision didn’t think it was important to address a plea early in the process. To me this wound up hurting my chances of receiving probation instead of the 32-month sentence I received.

Once you accept a plea, you’re acceptance of responsibility usually includes admitting to things that the prosecutor insists on being included even if they are not factual. In my opinion this is designed for the purpose of convincing the Judge to issue the longest possible sentence to the defendant. When you can no longer defend what is being said you are at a major disadvantage as you seek leniency from the Judge. My lawyers told me that spending time arguing what they are saying only lessens the time they will have to show all the good things I had done in my life. It’s really an emotional juggling act. I spent so much time even after taking my plea showing my lawyers why the government was wrong about so much of what they claimed. It’s difficult to listen to lies and misrepresentations of the facts and not fight back but taking a plea took away whatever rights I had to show evidence that told a different story. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an option for pleading guilty with an explanation. The day of sentencing was traumatic to say the least. My lawyers did a great job of humanizing me and 20+ friends and family were there in the courtroom to support me. As usual the government had the upper hand and used it to say whatever they wanted to sway the judge. My lawyer, a well-known criminal defense attorney was brilliant in his portrayal of who I am as a person and I do believe with almost any other attorney it may have been a worse outcome. Having said that hearing 32 months as my sentence was definitely a shock. The only saving grace was that this phase of the process was finally over and I knew what my immediate future looked like. Or did I?

It’s been four and half weeks since my sentencing and I have yet to be designated to a prison camp. During this period the coronavirus has been the big story in the news adding further uncertainty to whether I will report as required on April 13^th. My hope is that there will be a consensus by the Bureau of Prisons that will allow people like myself who are nonviolent offenders to be given home confinement until there is some clarity regarding the risks and proven methods for containing and treating the virus. As I have seen too often in this journey logic does not matter when dealing with our criminal justice system.

As I wait for my next step in this process, I will continue to proactively advocate for myself and hope that by sharing what I learn with others something good will come out of it. Hope, pray and take positive action is my new mantra.

Keep you posted….

____________________

Federal Bureau of Prisons Coronavirus Webpage: https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/

Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 Action Plan: https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200313_covid-19.jsp

Petition: HOME-CONFINEMENT TO LESSEN CAMPER’S EXPOSURE TO THE DEADLY COVID-19 VIRUS: http://chng.it/DF4JCGfh2b

Some Recent Articles About Prison and Coronavirus:

Prisonist.org: Scared White Collar Sh*tless: Reporting to Prison During the Coronavirus Pandemic, https://prisonist.org/scared-white-collar-shitless-reporting-to-prison-during-coronavirus-pandemic/

Prisonist.org: Coronavirus Updates from Prison, https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group-coronavirus-updates-from-prison/

Prisonist.org: 12 Things to Know When You Report to Prison During the Coronavirus Pandemic, From Inside a Federal Prison Camp, https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group-12-things-to-know-when-you-report-to-prison-from-inside-federal-prison-camp/

The Marshall Project: When Purell is Contraband, How Do You Contain Coronavirus? Handwashing and sanitizers may make people on the outside safer. But in prison it can be impossible to follow public health advice, https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/03/06/when-purell-is-contraband-how-do-you-contain-coronavirus

The Hill: ACLU calls on Justice Department, Bureau of Prisons to release inmates vulnerable to coronavirus, https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/488244-aclu-calls-on-justice-department-federal-bureau-of

The Crime Report: Huge Parole Caseloads Called Threat to Public Health in COVID-19 Pandemic, https://thecrimereport.org/2020/03/17/huge-parole-caseloads-threaten-public-health-in-covid-19-pandemic-warn-agency-chiefs/

NPR: Prisons And Jails Worry About Becoming Coronavirus ‘Incubators’, https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/815002735/prisons-and-jails-worry-about-becoming-coronavirus-incubators

CT Mirror: To contain coronavirus, release people in prison. Do not let Covid-19 become Katrina in Connecticut, https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/joseph-gaylin-noora-reffat-and-arvind-venkataraman/

Business Insider: US jails and prisons are ‘fertile grounds for infectious disease’ and preventing the spread of coronavirus behind bars will be a challenge, say experts, https://www.businessinsider.com/experts-keeping-prisons-free-of-coronavirus-will-be-a-challenge-2020-3

Prison Policy Initiative: No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform, https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/03/06/pandemic/

Government Executive: Federal Prison Employees and Others Question BOP’s Readiness for Coronavirus,https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/03/federal-prison-employees-and-others-question-bops-readiness-coronavirus/163692/

My Record Journal: State organizations seek prisoner release due to virus concerns, https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/State/Organizations-seeking-release-of-prisoners-due-to-virus-concerns.html

March 17 2020

White Collar Support Group: 12 Things to Know When You Report to Prison During the Coronavirus Pandemic, From Inside a Federal Prison Camp

Jeff Grant Blog coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, Federal prison, incarceration, JEFF GRANT, prison, prison coach, prison consultant, prison minister, prisonist.org, progressive prison ministries, second chance, second opinion, spirituality, white collar, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He is currently in a Federal Prison camp for a white collar crime. As he can’t attend support group meetings while he is in prison, we are in touch regularly on Corrlinks prison email. He sent me this 12 Things list to post on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant

Click here to read our article, “After Trauma: The Time for Spiritual Growth.”

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It hosts a White Collar Support Group online on Zoom every Monday at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here. We will be hosting our 200th consecutive weekly meeting online on Monday, April 13, 2020.

Dear Fellow Travelers:

I have been where you are now. And I am where you soon will be.

It is normal to be frightened. Believe me, I was. So, I hope what I am going to share with you will ease some of your fears by giving you accurate information based upon my experience at a federal prison camp. I am 60 years old (soon to be 61) and an inmate at a federal prison camp in XXX (Camp population approx. 265). I arrived here in March of 2019 and I was/am a member of the White Collar Support Group. I have known Jeff since 2014.

It is normal to be scared, but do not let your fear of the unknown overpower you, or cause your imagination to run wild. The reality of your (our) situation is this; what you think life will be like in a prison camp is far worse than the reality of what it will be like.

Regardless of the facility you are assigned to, there will be many men (or women) there just like you. You will recognize them when you meet them. They will recognize you too. These people will help steer you through your early days and weeks. This will be invaluable. And I guarantee that you will do the same for other new arrivals in the months ahead. What you will learn is that you are not alone.

Yes, incarceration is very different that what we are used to on the outside, but you will adapt to your new environment. I know this because everyone does. The amount of time it takes to adjust is different for everyone but with your new friends help the process will move along. However, I encourage you to not judge your progress based upon how you perceive others are progressing. I made that mistake. Trust that your adjustment period and the path you are on are unique to you. Before you know it you will have a routine that will work for you. As time moves forward your routine may change, and if it does, that is normal.

I know you are concerned about your mental and physical health. This is also normal. Let me share some of my experiences with you.

I too have mental health issues. Anxiety and depression to be exact. I have been on many different medication since I was diagnosed in the 1990’s. Since I arrived here I have NEVER had an issue getting the medication I need daily for my depression and anxiety. My Rx’s are refilled like clockwork every month. I self carry my meds, meaning I do not have to go to the daily pill line. They are refilled monthly, I keep them in my locker, and they are available to me any time I need them. The reality is the BOP does not want inmates going without the meds they need for their psychiatric disorders.

That said, it is true the healthcare you receive in prison isn’t the best. However, if you speak up for yourself and you can be your own advocate, and know what you need, you will fare much better than if you just meekly go along. Remember that the medical staff has to deal with all types (for instance, some are in prison for drug related offenses) and often assume right off the bat that you are trying to ‘get over’ on them. That’s why knowing what you need and being able to express it will serve you well.

Last month I had an emergency situation. I made it to sick call and explained what was happening and the pain I was in. One of the nurses was inclined to dismiss my concerns, so I focused on the other nurse. I was very polite but I was firm in that what I was experiencing was not normal, that the pain was intense, and I needed to go to the ER. And that is what happened, I went to the ER. As it turns out I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. I got the antibiotic treatment I needed and I was back at 100% within a week.

So, do inmates get sick? Yes, they do. Have there been Camp-Wide outbreaks of the flu, stomach virus, or other things? No there has not, at least not here anyway. Is this Camp filthy and germ infested? No, it is not. Are there germs? Yes, of course, but if you practice good personal hygiene, you will be fine. Inmates are also given free flu shots if they choose to accept one.

I truly understand that your situation is not ideal, but it will pass. You will see that it will not be as bad as you worry it will be. Understand that some of your worry comes from the fact that you will have not have the level of control over your daily life as you are used to having in the world. It is unnerving to have to ‘wait and see’, but you will get used to this fairly quickly.

You will learn and you will grow. And when this chapter is finished, you will be ready for the next chapter. As Jeff says, ‘there is always a way through’.

Here are 12 Things to Know I hope you will find helpful:

1. On the day you report, plan to arrive mid-morning at the latest, between 9am – 11am (unless you are instructed otherwise by the institution). The receiving/intake process takes time and you do not want to arrive anywhere close to a shift change.

2. On the day you report, bring your prescription medications with you, in the container provided by the pharmacy.

3. Bring original paper copies of your prescriptions.

4. If you wear glasses, get your eyes checked and get 2 pairs of glasses. Wear 1 pair when you report. Keep the other pair handy at home with your family. If you wear contacts you may not be able to get contact refills at your facility. You need to research this and/or check with the institution you are reporting to.

5. You do not need to bring ID with you.

6. Do not wear a watch. They will not let you bring it in with you. You will be issued instutition clothing.

7. As a precaution, make sure you are up-to-date on your immunizations.

8. You may want to get your teeth cleaned, and take care of any lingering dental work. At this facility, the dental hygienist and dentist are very good BUT it takes forever to get in to see them. It took me almost a year. It may be the same where you are reporting to.

9. Make a complete and comprehensive list of all your contacts, personal, professional and legal. Mail ONE copy to yourself the day before you report. Have your wife mail a second copy to you the day after you report.

10. When you arrive, you are going to need funds in your ITF (inmate trust fund) account. Otherwise known as your commissary account. You will need funds for commissary, e-mail (referred to as Tru-Links on the inside, and Corrlinks on the outside), and telephone. There are several way to get funds to an inmate, the fastest being Western Union or Money Gram. I use Western Union. My suggestion is that you and your wife get familiar with WU over the next few weeks. As for how much you will need, that it going to be up to you. When you first arrive I suggest you have at least $300 sent to you to get your email, and phone funded, and so you can get the essentials you will need from commissary. The commissary isn’t cheap. Prices run approximately 30% – 40% above public retail. You may be able to view a sample commissary list off the BOP web site.

11. Visitation Forms – Anyone who wants to visit you will need to send in a completed visitation form. I suggest they do this around the time you report. Visit forms can be found on the BOP web site (at least they were on there when I reported). FYI, There was a time when anyone who was listed in your PSR was automatically added to your visit list. The facility I am at WOULD NOT do this, so I had to have my family fill out visit forms.

12. There are special protocols now due to the coronavirus pandemic, see below. Upon reporting to Federal prison, I think it would be reasonable to expect being quarantined in the SHU (solitary confinement) for fourteen days or more so your condition can be observed and assessed to see if you have coronavirus symptoms. Not the best way to begin a prison sentence, but probably necessary given the times.

I really hope you find this helpful. If I can help further, please let Jeff know.

Sincerely, XXX

____________________

Federal Bureau of Prisons Coronavirus Webpage: https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/

Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 Action Plan: https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200313_covid-19.jsp

Petition: HOME-CONFINEMENT TO LESSEN CAMPER’S EXPOSURE TO THE DEADLY COVID-19 VIRUS: http://chng.it/DF4JCGfh2b

Some Recent Articles About Prison and Coronavirus:

Prisonist.org: Coronavirus Updates from Prison, https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group-coronavirus-updates-from-prison/

NPR: Prisons And Jails Worry About Becoming Coronavirus ‘Incubators’, https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/815002735/prisons-and-jails-worry-about-becoming-coronavirus-incubators

Prison Policy Initiative: No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform, https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/03/06/pandemic/

March 16 2020

White Collar Support Group: Coronavirus Updates from Prison

Jeff Grant Blog coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, criminal justice, Federal prison, incarceration, JEFF GRANT, prison coach, prison consultant, prison minister, prisonist.org, second chance, white collar, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

The writers are members of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings or are part of our greater community. They are all currently in Federal Prison camps for white collar crimes. As they can’t attend support group meetings while they are in prison, we are in touch regularly on Corrlinks prison email. They each send me prison coronavirus updates to post on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant

Click here to read our article, “After Trauma: The Time for Spiritual Growth.”

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Dear Family and Friends, Just an update for you all… My name was called up today and I was greeted with papers to sign for home confinement!! This is the official packet that makes my early release official. The packet that I just signed off on will now be routed to all the internal officials in Greenville. After they sign off electronically it goes to the STL office. They review it and then a date will be generated. This means I should be home 2-4 weeks from today. Sending lots of love and hugs your way,

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I will be able to participate in the group again. I am so looking forward to it. Save a spot for me at the Monday, May 4th [White Collar Support Group] meeting!! Please give everyone in the group my best and tell them that I am eager to ‘see’ them again.

It has been crazy here these last few days. First we are having Qt at the Medium, now we are not. We are supposed to have an A&O on Monday, so maybe we will find out then. Lots of men being paged for papers to sign. The Probation Departments are swamped so right now they are giving us all ‘rolling 30-day furloughs’ papers to cover us until Probation and Region can finalize HWH dates for some, and HC dates for others. I suspect that some of the inmates getting furloughs that still quite a bit of time left on their sentence MAY get called back here after the ‘State of Emergency’ is rescinded. I hope not, but it is possible. I will, or XXX will, update you when I learn more this week. Miss you my friend,

Update: Quarantine Starts Tonight! So, it looks like we will NOT have access to phones or email for the next 14 days while on Qt. All of us have prepared with extra books, mags, decks of cards, and we all made a trip to commissary today, so we are ready as we will ever be. It will be hard to be out of touch for 2 weeks, but the end result will be worth the wait. I will call you on the 29th!

____________________

Dear Family & Friends, A letter from the Warden came out today with the following information:

Effective April 13, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) extended movement restriction until May 18 and then measures will be reevaluated. This means we are in full quarantine in our dorms with no movement outside until May 18.We will have “access to medical care, showers, phone, video chats and email in small groups at designated times on a limited basis.” They’ve asked us “to increase our sanitation and hygiene efforts.” They asked us to wear a mask whenever in a public setting. Encouraged to avoid touching our face, wash our hands frequently with soap and water in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Campers with an imminent court deadline will be afforded 2/hrs per week on legal work in the library.

Campers DO NOT NEED TO APPLY (even though I have) to be considered for home confinement. “Case management staff are urgently reviewing all inmates to determine which ones meet the criteria established by Attorney General William Barr. Department also increased resources to review and make appropriate determinations as soon as possible.” While campers are being reviewed for suitability, any camper who believes they are eligible may request to be referred to Home Confinement and provide a release plan to the Case Manager (I have done this and am awaiting response). The BOP may contact family members to gather needed information when making decisions concerning Home Confinement placement.

They have provided two links to share with family and friends that will be updated regularly pertaining to home confinement: https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200405_covid19_home_confinement.jsp and https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/index.jsp.

If I have any other information, I’ll definitely keep you posted. In the meantime, stay safe. There’s a saying, “if you’ve seen one pandemic, you’ve seen….one pandemic.” Among the few predictions about COVID-19, it seems safe to say that it will become the subject of many histories of its own.

____________________

Dear Family and Friends,

I was just called in and notified that I made the pre-qualifying list for early release to home! :)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the paperwork I just completed, my unit manager will send it to central office (RRM) for furthur processing, and then a date will be generated to allow me to come home. As soon as my unit manager finds out the date after central office clears my paperwork, I will be able to come home!!! He did say this is a lengthy process and not an overnight fix, but it is the first and very important step in coming home!!!

____________________

April 23: I guess you have heard of the confusion and problems the BOP has been experiencing with the CARES Act COVID-19 related releases. A few days ago there were 45 men here in Qt, then suddenly 17 got called out and told they no longer qualified. From what I read the DOJ changed one of the requirements to be a minimum of 50% time served. From what I understood the threshold had been lowered to 25%, then I guess minds changed.

It was really terrible to see the expressions on friends faces as they packed up their stuff to head out of the Qt section. Their families were devastated I am sure. Those of us that remain are on edge, afraid that the DOJ will pull the plug and cancel the releases. So we are doing our level best to stay focused and not to let our emotions get the best of us. Things are fine otherwise, passing the time as best I can. It is a good feeling knowing that in 6 days I will be home with my children and family.

Feel free to keep me in the loop on any related news. Miss you two and I will talk to you soon.

____________________

From Evolution Reentry: A letter from the Warden came out today with the following information: Effective April 13, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) extended movement restriction until May 18 and then measures will be reevaluated. This means we are in full quarantine in our dorms with no movement outside until May 18. We will have “access to medical care, showers, phone, video chats and email in small groups at designated times on a limited basis.” They’ve asked us “to increase our sanitation and hygiene efforts.” They asked us to wear a mask whenever in a public setting. Encouraged to avoid touching our face, wash our hands frequently with soap and water in accordance with CDC guidelines. Campers with an imminent court deadline will be afforded 2/hrs per week on legal work in the library.

Campers DO NOT NEED TO APPLY (even though I have) to be considered for home confinement. “Case management staff are urgently reviewing all inmates to determine which ones meet the criteria established by Attorney General William Barr. Department also increased resources to review and make appropriate determinations as soon as possible.”While campers are being reviewed for suitability, any camper who believes they are eligible may request to be referred to Home Confinement and provide a release plan to the Case Manager (I have done this and am awaiting response). The BOP may contact family members to gather needed information when making decisions concerning Home Confinement placement.

If I have any further information, I will definitely keep you posted. In the meantime, stay safe. There’s a saying, “if you’ve seen one pandemic, you’ve seen…one pandemic.” Among the few predictions about COVID-19, it seems safe to say that it will become the subject of many histories of its own.

____________________

Dear Jeff: Happy Easter to you too!

One of the things that makes me hopeful is that thru our society’s collective experience with the CV, and ‘stay at home’ orders and quarantines that ‘Our Community’ can help the rest of society understand what it is like for the thousands of men and women, like us, who live and have lived their lives in isolation, in prisons, and afterwards. The loneliness and sadness, the fear of abandonment and the fear of being forgotten, the building up of emotional walls, the loss of hope, and the toll it all takes on our mental health. I am hopeful that thru Our Community’s outreach, society will help us find an alternative to mass incarceration, a process that serves no real rehabilitate purpose.

That said, I am grateful, thankful for my family, friends, and my health. And I have hope this Easter. In 17 days I will be home with my family, ready to contribute to society in all ways big and small.

____________________

Jeff; I have really been blessed this week. I found out that due to the Corona Virus I will be finishing the rest of my sentence on home confinement! There were ten of us in XXX that received this blessing. They finalized travel arrangements for half on Friday. They are going home the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd. I am in the half that did not get finalized but I anticipate that one of those dates will be mine as well. Needless to say both my parents and I are in shock. I have three and a half years left. I filed in court last year to ask the court to grant me home confinement for the rest of my sentence so that I could help Mom take care of Dad. However, that is still in the appeals process. Now, thanks to God, I will be there for them.

The one thing that my brother is concerned about is my reentry from a psychological perspective. I have been down for nine years now. I told him that I was planning on joining your group. I would also like to have a conversation with you when I get out to talk about your reentry and the things you did right and wrong and the things that other white collar guys did right and wrong Thanks

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Just wanted to wish you and your family a Happy Easter. Despite it being anything but traditional, it’s still a time to reflect on life, renewal, hope and new light. God is always working. It’s nice to see many good intentions of people coming together and helping one another despite the difficult times. When I find reasons to smile and be thankful, I think of my family and dearest friends. We are together in spirit and we choose joy. Covid may have no boundaries, but the strength of our faith, hope and love is unstoppable. I had to smile when I saw this 93 year old self-sufficient woman practicing self-quarantine on TV. She had a sign above her that said, “I need more beer.” Her humor and positive outlook allows her to move past the difficult and still appreciate life.

Many amazing accomplishments happened even just 50 years ago when people were in despair. Apollo 13 is celebrating it’s 50 year anniversary today of achieving the impossible. It’s through our faith, strength, love, passion, history and tenacity that we get through difficult times together. Hope you are all hanging in there. Thinking of you. Missing you. Sending big hugs, warm thoughts and wishes for brighter and happier times ahead. Love,

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Sun. April 6: The news yesterday broke about a case here at XXX. They have been taking self surrenders and buses even as late as last week. The warden’s assistant came in after the news broke and LIED to all of us denying the confirmed case and DENYING she has the virus after we just saw the news with confirmed reports from the hospital. She was pregnant, baby was delivered and she is positive and on a ventilator dying. She was NOT put in quarantine when she got here and I saw her on the track as early as 2 weeks ago. What they are doing here is a joke. I am terrified. Fights breaking out all over and guards using this time to add further punishments and verbal abuse. I am in the XXXX and last night after they denied the case they MOVED about 10 people to different rooms. We have no cleaning supplies. None. We have no feminine products. The food is getting smaller and smaller and inedible (bagged dinners and breakfast). I am scared. Please pray for us and let the public know. There is also something taped to the counselor’s door that says the attorney general has NOT authorized anyone to be released under the CARES act. Warden isn’t even here. More later. Thank you for supporting me and for checking in. Praying for you and your family too. xoxoxoxo

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By letter: Jeff, things you need to know. The BOP made a big deal that it isn’t moving inmates between institutions. This is patently false. Today here at FCI XXX we received a number of inmates by bus. To be 100% accurate, it was MCI bus #XXX, with the license plate XXXXXX. These inmates were taken to the Medium facility and supposedly put into quarantine.

To make matters worse. one of the detail bosses ordered 2 of the detail inmates to clean the inside of the bus. When they refused, and after they explained why, they were sent back to the camp. Another inmate was ordered to do it, and he did. The bus drivers were only wearing gloves and one was wearing a painter’s fabric mask. Both drivers did not hesitate to go into the CO’s office and hang out in the area.

If you decide to put this out to the public, please make sure it can’t be traced back to me. No one is taking protective measures.

____________________

Hi There, I thought I would share the following notice that was posted on our Bulletin Board. Hope it helps you and your loved ones be extra careful. Stay Safe. Stay Healthy. Many Blessings to you and Your Loved Ones. XXX

How a person gets infected is once someone else who is infected with the virus touches or coughs on a certain surface and you happen to touch that surface you are infected too. The symptoms are high fever, dry cough and respiratory problems. This virus attacks the lungs and is very contagious. That’s why we are being asked to maintain a distance approximately 6 to 8 ft. from others. If you touch something wash your hands immediately and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE as the virus enters the body through the mouth, nose and eyes. Touching your face is the primary way of entering your immune system. That is why we are being asked to wash everything with water, soap, alcohol and antibacterial.

Duration of time the virus lives on each object :

Change(money) / coins : 4 hours
Plastic : 5 days
Cartons : 24 hours
Metal : 3 days
Crystal : 4 days
Shoes : 5 days
Clothes : 4 days
Natural Air : 3 hours ( after some one sneezes or coughs without covering with mask or arm/elbow)
Air Conditioning : 5 days
Paper : 5 days
Wood : 4 days
Gloves : 8 hours
Aluminum : 8 hours

____________________

Everyone. It’s Sunday afternoon, day 5 of the Lockdown.

All is going about as well as one could expect. We are doing all that we can from going stir crazy, and I think God that we are at a camp and have some limited movement… up and down our ‘street’ (hallway). Me and 2 others find a way each day to get in some sort of bodyweight exercise. And I will recap these in another email. It is important for my own mental health that I DO NOT sleep the day away, but I have to say that it is tempting.

I haven’t worked for the last two days as they have been limiting inmate activities. The job definitely makes my day pass quicker. I am hopeful that I will get called in tomorrow, and for the remainder of the lock down. Please say a prayer that I do.

The hardest part of what is happening is that we all worry about our families ‘out there’. All we hear on TV is the ‘worst of the worst’ news. And there are also those ‘snake oil salesmen’ (carnival barkers) inmates who prey on others emotions telling anyone who will listen that they have ‘inside’ information and we are all going to get released after the lockdown is over. It is so, so wrong. Some men are so desperate that they will believe anything.

I know you all worry about us, but I believe with all my heart that YOU have it harder then we do. You have real life to worry about; work, paying bills, putting food on the table, etc. All I can say is please don’t worry about us. We are all going to be fine. The one thing we don’t get here is access to diverse, and accurate, news sources. So if you see an article that would be of interest, copy and paste it into a new email and send it to me. I will share it.

For now we only get 90 minutes to use the phone, email and see TV. Which in reality means 1 phone call – as we have to wait 1 hour between calls – and maybe 2 computer sessions – as we have to wait 15 minutes between sessions. Remember that I love you and miss you. And I hope to get another email out tomorrow.

____________________

April 2nd: Four BOP prisoners at Oakdale (Louisiana) and one at Elkton (OH) have died from Coronavirus. Oakdale is a ‘Low’ prison and Elkton is a Camp. Prisoners at these low-level prisons are much more susceptible to the virus because we live in very close quarters, while ‘High’ and ‘Medium’ prisoners have cells with one or two prisoners per cell. Putting Camp and Low prisoners on lock down is the exact opposite of what should be done!

The barracks building I am in is a 6,000 SF warehouse-type building with 142 inmates (capacity is 155); there are no interior walls in the barracks area. Imagine putting 142 people in 3 average sized houses and telling them they have to breathe the same air 24/7, and then bringing 5-10 DIFFERENT people (guards) from the outside every day to mingle with the 142 prisoners.

During the Town Hall meeting yesterday a Camp prisoner was told he would be disciplined if he used a bandana or handkerchief as a health mask since that would be considered a disguise!

There are several prisoners at the Camp that have health categories of Level 2 and Level 3, which puts them at significant risk. (Level 1 is life threatening). How the BOP and Justice Department can justify risking the lives of elderly prisoners with no violent history is beyond me. This is immoral.

XXX has several federal and state prisons, and a high number of border law enforcement and prisoners. Prison(er) issues are a common story in the local newspaper. It’s only a matter of time before this story gets out, and people will be outraged!

____________________

Weds., April 1st

The Assistant Warden (AW) concluded a “Town Hall” meeting with the XXX ‘camper’ prisoners a moment ago. Please pray for my health, and for the health of several prisoners in this camp who are over 70 years-old and in poor health. (Our oldest prisoner is an 84 year-old retired doctor; it is immoral that he is in this prison).

Here are the key points:

1. We are on lockdown for the next 14 days, meaning all 142 men are confined to the barracks. This is a national Bureau of Prisons (BOP) action as part of Phase Six of their COVID-19 mitigation plan.

2. All guards and staff have their temperature taken daily before they are allowed to go to their work area.

3. TWO BOP-XXX GUARDS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, but Staff claims they contracted the virus while they were on vacation, and they did not have access to any prisoners.

4. Everyone is required to practice social-distancing. (This comment was met with some derision since they called everyone to the front of the barracks for the meeting, while the staff leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they spoke).

5. One prisoner questioned the truthfulness of some of the information, and he was immediately removed from the meeting.

6. When asked about comments made the past few days by Attorney General Barr, policy makers, and politicians to have all low-risk prisoners over age 55 to be released to home confinement, the AW said “there’s nothing to that – it’s just politicians talking.” (For context, there are approximately 17,000 prisoners in BOP Camps, and it’s estimated that about 3,000 are over 55 (there are 33 at this XXX prison camp). Two days ago AG Barr stated publicly that he believes releasing older non-violent prisoners to home confinement may be a more effective way to manage the virus. A BOP prison in Louisiana has 7 cases currently which was a result of 4 guards testing positive for the virus and bringing it into the prison; one prisoner in his 50’s has died. As of yesterday, 28 BOP prisoners and 24 BOP guards have tested positive for COVID-19, and there is risk for a “wildfire” in some prisons.)

____________________

Dear Family & Friends:

Some updates from XXX:

No visits will be allowed by family, friends and legal counsel for the next 30 days. After 30 days, it will be reevaluated. As a result, phone call minutes have been increased to 500 minutes per month vs the 300 we had. A modified staff ratio will be present on campus – currently we have the kitchen supervisor, one person in front in admin and then they call another person in from the men’s FCI when count is requested. Total skeleton operation. No one has been tested positive for Covid within the system which is good news. These measures are taken to ensure that the virus does not come from the outside.

Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. I’m ok. Please be careful too.

___________________

Hi Jeff –

The XXX federal complex includes three prisons; High, Medium, and Camp. There are ~ 1,400 prisoners at the High, 350 at the Medium, and 150 at the Camp. Last Thursday a new prisoner with “flu-like” sumptons arrived at the High which caused all three prisons to go on lock-down pending the results of his test. However, Camp prisoners were required to go the Medium and High to cook meals for those prisoners. Campers were NOT allowed to go outside, but we were forced to work at the other two prisons. Very aggravating!!

Yesterday (Saturday) around 1p local time the prison staff announced the tests were negative, but the lock-down would remain in force through the weekend. Again, very aggravating! We have heard that the lock-down will end Monday.

The complex has implemented the BOP changes of 500 phone minutes and suspending visits for 30 days.

____________________

March 15, 2020
Sunday

Dear Family and Friends

Friday, at 12:30pm, we were all recalled back to the Camp and told to remain in our rooms (they call it our ‘cells’, but I hate that term). We had no idea what was going on. And there we remained until 3:30pm at which time we were directed to the big TV room for a Town Hall with the Warden. Yes, the Warden. He spends most of his time across the street ‘behind the fence’ at the Medium, so we knew it was important.

The Warden announced the new BOP protocols to be proactive against the Corona Virus. All the steps seem logical, at least to me. I am sure the BOP put out a national press release about it. The initial 30 day restriction on visitation and volunteers from the outside make sense to me. That is not to say I am happy about it, but it needs to be done. However, the BOP increased our monthly phone allowance from 300 to 500 minutes to make up for the lack of visitation!

I am also glad they say they are going to put a halt on transfers between facilities for the next 30 days. That also makes sense. I do hope they will be vigilant with the CO’s who come and go every day, making sure they are not a source for introduction of the virus.

That said, this was not the big event for the week. And what I am about to tell you hasn’t happened here in the time I have been at El Reno, that is until now.

This past Wednesday, one of the Camp inmates committed suicide. He intentionally overdosed on his blood pressure and other medicines. This is very sad.

His name is XXX. And I can personally attest to the fact that XXX is a troubled soul. I, along with two others, shared a room with XXX for 4 – 5 months. I decided to move out of the room earlier this year (January) because I was at my wits-end and I knew that the longer I stayed the more I would become someone I didn’t like.

XXX is a very smart guy. He had been to state prison in California before his time in Federal Prison for identity theft/Social security fraud. He didn’t have too much longer to go on his sentence, but he was a very angry and bitter guy. He misplaced his blame on others and his anger and bitterness turned inward and his behavior became more and more anti-social.

I am certain that the administration here knew he needed help. He was constantly getting in trouble for one thing or another, for breaking rules that our children could have followed. Instead of helping him, or transferring him to a medical facility, they ignored him.

No one I talked to is really sure what set XXX off on Wednesday. Maybe it was just the culmination of small things that built up over time. I do know that he would tell any one who would listen “I am going to die in here. The BOP will never let me go.” The truth is XXX would have been out of here in 12 – 18 months, but he had convinced himself that he should have been allowed to leave sooner because of the FSA/Over 60 Home Confinement program, but the BOP was denying him out of spite. We will never know.

Was XXX disliked, yes he was. Did he do things intentionally to try and make those around him as miserable as he was, yes he did, constantly. But that isn’t the point.

It is so sad that XXX felt like he had no other option than to take his own life. Did some inmates try to help and counsel him, yes we did. Did some inmates pray with him, yes we did. Did inmates show him kindness and compassion, yes we did. But he could never see the light at the end of the tunnel. He couldn’t recognize that his life was of value, and he could never see or believe that he could make the world a better place.

I hope XXX has finally found peace.

_________________________

Dear Jeff,

Let me tell you what it has been like here at XXXX – a complete cluster fuck. No one seems to know what is going on and the right hand is not talking to the left.

They have put us on controlled movements and let us only out to eat unit by unit (there are 8 units). Lunch alone takes 3+ hours. They just cleared out my unit entirely to make room for a flight that is coming in for them to be quarantined- even though they told us that they were not moving any inmates around in BOP custody. So every single unit is completely full- does that not make it a breeding ground for sickeness?!

They want to take precautions- I get that. But there has to be a better way to do it than the way that they are.

____________________

Hi Jeff,

We have NA but it’s inmate led. So far they are letting the campus administer it. We are also currently allowed to teach GED classes but they are less than 10pp. All volunteers are not allowed to come in to do the ministry and or reentry classes they were administering (Trauma, Criminal Thinking, Reentry 101). Hope this helps!

____________________

Jeff: When I was talking with my son (17 in April) yesterday he rightly pointed out that all things being equal, most of us at the Camp are about as isolated as we can get. And he is right. What I worry about, and I didn’t get into this with him is if the BOP is lax in their day-to-day screening procedures at the front gate (contractors, truck drivers, CO’s, etc.) we inmates are in trouble. Yes the BOP has stopped the transfer of inmates and self-surrenders are being quarantined for 14 days across the street at the Medium in the SHU of all places.

I choose to believe that we are being protected, but that will not stop me for praying for protection for all of the inmates here. There are plenty here who are severely immune compromised, and we know the BOP is loathe to release inmates before they are good and ready to, regardless of what Congress wants.

As you know, being locked away from family is stressful enough, but in a time of crisis it is especially frustrating and frightening. The BOP must focus on keeping the inmate population truthfully informed, and keep them from becoming too restless and frightened. Inmates distrust the BOP for good reason, so they are going to have to work extra hard to overcome this. They should also loosen some of the dumb Camp restrictions that cause unnecessary stress…. and believe me this Camp is stressed!

I do know this much, once this crisis is behind us, and I am back home with my family, I don’t think there will ever be a situation that I cannot face.

Jeff, talk to you soon. And if you have time keep me in the loop with relevant news and developments.

____________________

Pastor Jeff –

This is a great writing, and it’s very timely with all the “opportunity” that surviving coronavirus is going to bring to all business sectors!

The ‘Magical Thinking – Entrepreneurs Beware’ paragraph is indeed a “tough one”. An old proverb states “any strength over-emphasized leads to weakness”; entrepreneurs can feel invincible especially if they have succeeded in the past. One of my all-time favorite business books is What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (Marshall), and it essentially warns entrepreneurs that certain conditions and actions may have led to prior success, but assuming that those same conditions and actions exist now is a fatal business mistake. Thank you for sharing.

____________________

We were on lockdown for three + days (March 13-16) because an incoming prisoner to the USP had “flu-like symtons.” The test results came back negative on the 15th and the lockdown was lifted 1.5 days later. Campers were somewhat irritated because we were forced to go to the USP and FCI to prepare meals for those prisoners, but we were not allowed to go outside at the camp.

All classes involving over 10 people have been cancelled, including church meetings. This past Sunday (Mar 22) we asked if we could split into groups with fewer than 10 people, but we were denied. Amazingly, the Assistant Chaplain stopped at the library where 6 of us were reading to inform us that gathering for a “religous service” of even 6 people was prohibited, but we could stay in the library! (A couple of hours later about 8 of us gathered our chairs together in the barracks to read and pray together). Two Natives (the only two attending) who engaged in their Sweat Lodge ritual this past Sunday were written-up by the Assistant Chaplain for violating the ban on religious congregating! Less than two hours later I was playing cards with these two Natives. Orientation was held today for new incoming prisoners, and BOP staff split them into two groups of less than 10 so they could conduct their training. Hypocrites!

Yesterday I and one other prisoner were called to the Warden’s office to clean her conference room which is undergoing light remodeling. The guards there (FCI) are routinely violating the 6-foot distance rule with us and with themselves, even though there is no legitimate reason for them to get that close to us or themselves.

BOP employees are being tested for COVID-19 as of this past Monday.

____________________

Jeff;

I am the head of education here at the camp and very involved at the church. So, I know what is happening both here and in the Low next door. All group gatherings have been banned. No GED classes. No ACE classes. No church services. No exercise classes. Nothing. In the Low they are basically under 23/1 lockdown. They have to stay in their units except for an hour in the exercise yard each day and meals which are served by unit. The camp only has 75 guys so, with the exception of no classes, we are not affected.

The only suggestion that I have would be to set up some sort of group email. Guys could email in thoughts questions etc. You or someone on the outside that is familiar with running support groups could create answers to the questions in addition to some thoughts for that day. Those questions, answers and thoughts could be bulk emailed to all who are in prison and part of your organization. I am one of the thousands of guys who receives emails from FAMM so I know that it can be done, I’m just not sure what the logistics of bulk email are into this system. Hope that helps.

____________________

Federal Bureau of Prisons Coronavirus Webpage: https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/

Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 Action Plan: https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200313_covid-19.jsp

Petition: HOME-CONFINEMENT TO LESSEN CAMPER’S EXPOSURE TO THE DEADLY COVID-19 VIRUS: http://chng.it/DF4JCGfh2b

Some Recent Articles About Prison and Coronavirus:

Prisonist.org: Coronavirus Updates from Prison, https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group-coronavirus-updates-from-prison/

NPR: Prisons And Jails Worry About Becoming Coronavirus ‘Incubators’, https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/815002735/prisons-and-jails-worry-about-becoming-coronavirus-incubators

Prison Policy Initiative: No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform, https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/03/06/pandemic/

March 13 2020

Scared White Collar Sh*tless: Reporting to Prison During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Jeff Grant Blog coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, criminal justice, criminal justice reform, Federal prison, hope, incarceration, JEFF GRANT, pandemic, prison coach, prison consultant, prison minister, prisonist.org, progressive prison ministries, white collar, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

The writer is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. He was sentenced to serve over two years in Federal Prison for a white collar crime, and is scheduled to report next month. He sent me this email last night seeking help – he asked me to post it on prisonist.org. – Jeff Grant

“Why not allow people like me who have been sentenced for nonviolent crimes, but who have not yet reported to prison, be shifted to home detention under the supervision of their probation officers?”

Dear Jeff,

I am scared shitless.

From the outset, I want to point out that I pleaded guilty for my crime, take complete responsibility for my actions and am fully prepared to serve my sentence. I received a 2+ year prison sentence – I did not receive a death sentence.

As I prepare to report to prison next month, I am overwrought with worry about the coronavirus crisis. I am afraid how my own health could be impacted at whatever prison camp I wind up at. Mostly, I am afraid for my family.

I am bit of a germaphobe, so I was already mentally preparing for the uncomfortable living arrangements where toilets and shower facilities are shared. While researching what it would be like to live in a prison camp, I learned that outbreaks of influenza, stomach virus and other infections are not uncommon in these types of environments. I am over the age of 60 and considered part of what is considered a vulnerable group, which provides additional worry of reporting to an environment where open living quarters provide a breeding ground for infections. Add to that the current panic in the media and at all levels of government I fear that I will be further isolated as many prisons are already suspending visitation during this outbreak.

As an individual with a lifetime of mental health issues I have been under psychiatric care and daily medication management since my arrest. What if there is a medication shortage while I’m in prison? The worst thoughts come to mind regarding exposure to the virus and access to any form of acceptable medical care while this craziness continues to spiral. My wife is a nurse and is exposed to many infections on a daily basis. What if I already have the coronavirus and don’t know it, wouldn’t I be putting others at risk? Will my wife, kids, family and friends be at risk in the prison visiting room? There are so many questions that need to be answered but without someone to advocate on the behalf of those in my position I fear we will be forced into a horrible situation that was never anticipated on the day the Judge sentenced me.

Further making my point, my probation officer called me the other day to tell me not to report in person and to check in online till further notice. The Federal government is banning people from courthouses, shouldn’t they enforce the same ban for all Federal buildings including prisons? They already understand the risks. There’s no rule book for dealing with this crisis, the world is facing something it’s never seen before. If new rules are being written, then shouldn’t people on the outside stay on the outside? This information and the many unknowns only escalate my level of anxiety.

With so much still unknown about the coronavirus, I’m not sure if people who are in my position are even being considered at this time. Because of that possibility I feel the need to advocate for myself and others who find themselves living with the same uncertainty. To be clear, I prefer not to put off my sentence as it only delays my opportunity to move past this period and get on with my life. In an effort to avoid getting sick I have already for the most part confined myself to my home. Why not allow people like me who have been sentenced for nonviolent crimes but who have not yet reported to prison be shifted to home detention under the supervision of their probation officers?

Prisons are already overcrowded, and this would be the perfect time to fast track the First Step and Second Chance Acts. I know this may be self-serving but why not provide early release to low level offenders and increase home confinement to those who are preparing to report? This is already happening in other parts of the world in order to stem the outbreak in prisons. If the President is willing to shut down travel to stop people from coming in shouldn’t we do the same at our prisons?

What has become obvious is that what is now been called a pandemic by the World Health Organization has affected our way of life and given pause to almost every industry on our planet. The NBA, NHL and the NCAA cancelled games for the foreseeable future and MLB is delaying the start of their season. It appears that our country is paralyzed with people cancelling travel plans and restaurants that are normally packed with people are practically empty. At what point does the Federal Bureau of Prisons provide a plan for the vulnerable prison population. Are we less important due to our current status? We need answers and need them quickly.

For those of you have loved one’s who are already incarcerated or know someone who is preparing to report to prison please share this. Hopefully this will reach the right people who will intercede on behalf of our forgotten community.

~Anonymous~

Press Release: World’s First Online White Collar Support Group to Celebrate It’s 200th Meeting on April 13, 2020. Link here.

Federal Bureau of Prisons Coronavirus Webpage: https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/

Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 Action Plan: https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/20200313_covid-19.jsp

Petition: HOME-CONFINEMENT TO LESSEN CAMPER’S EXPOSURE TO THE DEADLY COVID-19 VIRUS: http://chng.it/DF4JCGfh2b

Some Recent Articles About Prison and Coronavirus:

NPR: Prisons And Jails Worry About Becoming Coronavirus ‘Incubators’, https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/815002735/prisons-and-jails-worry-about-becoming-coronavirus-incubators

Prison Policy Initiative: No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform, https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/03/06/pandemic/

Republican American: Federal and state trials postponed in Connecticut due to virus concerns, https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2020/03/12/federal-criminal-and-civil-court-trials-postponed-in-connecticut-due-to-virus-concerns/

March 11 2020

Watch on YouTube: Jeff Grant Talks CT Criminal Justice and Coronavirus, White Collar Crime, on Real People with Stan Simpson: Fox 61 Connecticut, Sun., March 15, 2020

Jeff Grant Media, Recent/Upcoming Events & Appearances, Videos babz rawls ivy, coronavirus in prisons, criminal justice insider, criminal justice insider with babz rawls ivy and jeff grant, criminal justice reform, Federal prison, fox 61, free prison calls, JEFF GRANT, lynn springer, prison, prison minister, prisonist.org, progressive prison ministries, stan simpson, white collar, white-collar crime, white-collar support group

Jeff Grant, Director of Progressive Prison Ministries, appeared Sunday, April 15th on Real People with Stan Simpson, Fox 61 Television Connecticut. Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar criminal justice/economy exiled community. It will be hosting the 200th consecutive weekly meeting of the world’s first and only confidential, online White Collar Support Group on Monday, April 13, 2020 at 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT, information here.

Watch on YouTube, Pt.1:

Watch on YouTube, Pt. 2:

Watch on YouTube, Pt. 3:

Stan Simpson is a former award-winning newspaper columnist at The Hartford Courant and a former radio talk show host for WTIC NewsTalk 1080 in Connecticut. He is host of “Real Story with Stan Simpson”, which airs Sundays, 10:30 a.m., on Fox 61. (The show can also be viewed on line at www.fox61.com/stan). The TV show is about “Connecticut people and compelling issues.” Among his guests have been: Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, UConn Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun, former NBA player Vin Baker, actress Sallie Toussaint and actor Michael Jai White. Hartford Magazine in 2009 recognized Simpson as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Connecticut.

Jeff Grant is an ordained minister with over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law, reentry, recovery, and executive & religious leadership. After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed when he was a lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Sometimes referred to in the press as “The Minister to Hedge Funders,” he and his wife Lynn Springer co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc, the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community in Connecticut and nationwide. On Monday, April 13th at 7 pm EDT, he will host the 200th weekly meeting of the world’s first Online White Collar Support Group. Jeff and Babz Rawls Ivy co-host the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast, broadcast live from New Haven on WNHH at 9 am on the first and third Fridays of each month. Information about Jeff, the ministry and the podcast/radio show can be found on their website, prisonist.org.

January 5 2020

The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant: Guests Scott Semple, Former CT Commissioner of Correction and Alex Frank & John Hart of the Vera Institute of Justice, Fri., May 15, 2020

Jeff Grant Recent/Upcoming Events & Appearances alexandra frank, babz rawls ivy, community foundation for greater new haven, coronavirus, coronavirus in prisons, covid-19, criminal justice insider, criminal justice insider with babz rawls ivy and jeff grant, criminal justice reform, JEFF GRANT, john hart, lynn springer, pandemic, prisoner reentry, prisonist.org, reentry, restoring promise, scott semple, second chance, t.r.u.e. unit, vera institute of justice

Please join us on Friday, May 15, 2020, 9 am ET, when Scott Semple, Alex Frank and John Hart of the Vera Institute of Justice will be our guests on the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of CT Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and podcast 24/7 everywhere, see below. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.

Watch on YouTube:

Listen on SoundCloud:

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/criminal-justice-insider-babz-rawls-ivy-jeff-grant/id1027927746?i=1000474745536

Scott Semple was appointed commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction in March 2015. Scott joined the Connecticut Department of Correction as a front line Correction Officer in 1988 at the high security Cheshire Correctional Institution. During his tenure, he has served the agency in numerous administrative capacities, to include pre-service training coordinator, external and legislative affairs, and warden of the state’s only correctional facility dedicated for men requiring comprehensive treatment services for significant mental illness. As commissioner, Scott has successfully implemented several performance based and progressive correctional practices designed to support both staff and incarcerated people. Most notable, they include the Emerging Adult Units known as the TRUE Unit (located in Cheshire) and the WORTH Unit (located in Niantic). He has also repurposed an existing correctional facility and other specific housing units for specialized populations to provide a therapeutic environment designed to support community reintegration. Scott has implemented numerous agency-wide staff wellness initiatives to support, respond and improve policies evolving around the complex and unique needs associated with the health and welfare of correctional professionals and their families. On January 1, 2019, after more than 30-years of service to the agency, Scott retired from public service. He now provides professional consult through Semple Consulting, LLC on various criminal justice and correctional related endeavors.

Alex Frank is the Project Director of the Restoring Promise Initiative in Vera’s Center on Youth Justice. Restoring Promise works to disrupt the prison system by centering accountability, healing, hope, and racial equity in prison reform. Alex has a track record of bringing innovation into the field of justice reform. She has spearheaded strategies to engage young adults, impacted families, and system leaders within the intersection of addressing mass incarceration, institutional violence, and restorative justice, through an antiracist lens. Alex works to strategically and collaboratively scale multi-layered projects that include fundraising, policy and practice change, research, and capacity building. In addition, Alex works with formerly and currently incarcerated people to ensure that all efforts and solutions center the resilience, cultural identity and human dignity they deserve.

Prior to joining Vera, Alex was part of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at the Annie E. Casey Foundation where she worked to close youth prisons, and to develop the foundation’s national strategy for partnering with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their families in reform—the people most impacted by the justice system. Alex’s work at the New York City Department of Probation, at the Suffolk County Jail in Boston, as well as her personal experience with the justice system shaped her interests in justice reform.

John Hart, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Associate who joined Vera Institute’s Restoring Promise Initiative in August 2019. As a part of his role, John focuses on the data collection program and the qualitative research agenda for the initiative.

Prior to joining Restoring Promise, John was a Senior Research Assistant at the University of Maryland, College Park leading research and community projects examining mass incarceration of Black Men as a public health disparity and the re-entry experiences of young, Black fathers from prison into the communities. In addition, John is a clinician and has spent the last few years consulting with various jails and prisons in the D.C. Metropolitan area to provide psychoeducation to those incarcerated on topics such as co-parenting, relationship skills, coping and emotional regulation.

He holds a Ph.D. in Family Science and a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.A from The George Washington University.

_________________

The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept.-June

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It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day.
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Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/search?q=wnhh

The show is also archived at:

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/new-haven-independent/sets/criminal-justice-insider
Community Foundation of Greater New Haven website: https://www.cfgnh.org/LeadingOnIssues/IncarcerationandReentry/CriminalJusticeInsiderRadioArchives.aspx

An article about each show is published a few days later in the New Haven Independent (newhavenindependent.org).

Season Three Program/Guests List (*formerly incarcerated):

Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch*, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice
Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel*, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program
Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman*, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters
Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson*, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council
Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department
Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, CT Rep. Josh Elliott & Tiheba Bain*
Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs
Fri., Jan. 3, 2020: Reginald Dwayne Betts*, Lawyer, Poet, Lecturer on Mass Incarceration
Fri., Jan. 17, 2020: Serena Ligouri*, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children – L.I.
Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock*, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA Fri.,
Feb. 20, 2020: Larry Levine*, Talk Show Host & Criminal Justice Consultant
Fri,. Mar. 6, 2020, Hans Hallundbaek, Interfaith Prison Partnership
Fri., Mar. 20, 2020: Tiheba Bain*, Women’s Incarceration Advocate
Fri., April 3, 2020: Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear*, Executive Director, Healing Communities Prison Ministry
Thurs., Apr. 16, 2020, 6:30 pm: Live at Iona College, New Rochelle, NY with Special Guests
Fri., April 17, 2020: Inaugural Inductees* of CT Hall of Change with Charlie Grady, Founder
Fri., May 3, 2020: Eilene Zimmerman, Author of “Smacked: A Story of White Collar Ambition, Addiction and Tragedy”.
Fri., May 15, 2020: Scott Semple, Alex Frank & John Hart of the Vera Institute of Justice
Fri., June 5, 2020: Children of Incarcerated Parents Show with Aileen Keays and Melissa Tanis

coronavirus in prisons

Chandra Bozelko writes the award-winning blog Prison Diaries. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChandraBozelko and email her at outlawcolumn@gmail.com. She is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. – Jeff

By Chandra Bozelko

Reprinted from The Connecticut Mirror, Feb. 12, 2021

Columns share an author’s personal perspective.

In April, former Commissioner of Department of Correction (DOC) Rollin Cook issued a department-wide memorandum requiring staff “to wear protective face-masks while on duty whenever social distancing is not possible.”

There are only three ways the virus can reliably enter a correctional facility: visits, new admissions and/or staff. The realities of prison life during COVID-19 take the first two options out of contention. It’s most likely that the staff who’s spreading the disease.

Visits can’t be the cause of the spread because in-person visits that allow contact have been suspended since March; the resumption of visits in October limited them to non-contact, which means the inmate and the visitor don’t even breathe the same air.

New admissions aren’t causing the spread, either. Incoming inmates are kept in quarantine for two weeks, more than enough time to assure that they’re not infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It’s the lack of masks on the staff that’s causing the spread. That’s where the evidence points.

While it’s been hard to connect with inmates because of a lockdown imposed to slow the virus’s spread, a few prisoners have reported the non-use of masks to family and friends.

Another woman took pictures of guards when she retrieved her cell phone from the lockers outside the visiting room at the same prison, MacDougall-Walker CI. One officer wasn’t wearing a mask at all and another had it slung around his chin.

A female inmate at York Correctional Institution, the state’s only women’s prison, that went without a single infection until September 2020, says guards aren’t wearing masks and she witnessed one maskless guard ask where he could get a COVID test.

Site visits to prisons rarely meet their expectations for oversight. When I was incarcerated at York CI, I watched last minute scrambles to throw fresh paint over dirty walls and to make the facility appear clean and in compliance when it probably wasn’t.

Elana Bildner, an attorney with the ACLU of Connecticut and one of two lawyers who represented plaintiffs in the McPherson suit, says that her office receives numerous complaints that identify the date, time and place within the prison where staff members don’t have masks on.

An email requesting clarification wasn’t answered by the Assistant Attorney General who acts as lead counsel for DOC in the McPherson v. Lamont litigation, Terrence O’Neill.

To be fair, the original mask memo was written when health experts didn’t know as much about the spread of the virus. It directed that masks were necessary when social distance of six feet was impossible. Now we know masks are necessary regardless of the stretch of space between two people.

Masks’ efficacy in reducing the spread of the virus — and even the resulting death rate — has been proven over and over again. And masking advice has changed and updated itself since the initial memo from former Commissioner Cook, even advancing to a direction to wear two masks now.

Chandra Bozelko writes the award-winning blog Prison Diaries. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChandraBozelko and email her at outlawcolumn@gmail.com.

More from Chandra Bozelko:

White Collar Week with Jeff Grant A Podcast Serving the White Collar Justice Community

Limited 10-Episode Run: Summer 2020

It’s the Isolation that Destroys Us. The Solution is in Community.

Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson

I was most impressed with the raw humanity in this episode, and how much all of our guests really care about people in the most difficult circumstances we could imagine.

So, coming up – The Academics. On White Collar Week. I hope you will join us. – Jeff

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

Listen on Spotify:

Listen on SoundCloud:

Watch on YouTube:

If you have a friend, family member, colleague or client with a white collar justice issue, please forward this email; they can reach us anytime – day or night! Our contact info: http://prisonist.org/contact-us.

Guests on this Episode:

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You can find all episodes of our podcast “White Collar Week with Jeff Grant” on our website prisonist.org, our Facebook page, Podbean, YouTube (video), SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Louis Reed/Babz Rawls Ivy PSA:

Some very kind words from my dear friends Louis L. Reed and Babz Rawls Ivy in this brief PSA. Thank you Louis and Babz! – Jeff

______________________________

All Episodes:

Link here to Podcast Ep. 20: Glenn E. Martin & Richard Bronson: Reinventing Yourself After Prison

Link here to Podcast Ep. 19: Insider Trading Charges Dismissed, with Guest Richard Lee

Link here to Podcast Ep. 18: Is Your Life a Movie? The Producers, with Guests: Lydia B. Smith, Bethany Jones & Will Nix

Link here to Podcast Ep. 17: #TruthHeals: Systemic Abuse & Institutional Reform with Vanessa Osage, feat. Guest Co-Host Chloe Coppola

Link here to Podcast Ep. 16: Politicians, Prison & Penitence, with Guest: Bridgeport, CT Mayor Joseph Ganim

Link here to Podcast Ep. 15: A Brave Talk About Suicide, with Guests Bob Flanagan, Elizabeth Kelley, & Meredith Atwood

Link here to Podcast Ep. 14: Recovery & Neighborhood, with Guest: TNP’s Tom Scott

Link here to Podcast Ep. 13: Everything but Bridgegate, with Guest: Bill Baroni

Link here to Podcast Ep. 12: The Truth Tellers, with Guests: Holli Coulman & Larry Levine

Link here to Podcast Ep. 11: The Blank Canvas, with Guest: Craig Stanland

Link here to Podcast Ep. 10: The Ministers, with Guests: Father Joe Ciccone & Father Rix Thorsell

Link here to Podcast Ep. 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest: Taxgirl Kelly Phillips Erb

Link here to Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson

Link here to Podcast Ep. 07: White Collar Wives. with Guests: Lynn Springer, Cassie Monaco & Julie Bennett. Special Guest: Skylar Cluett

Link here to Podcast Ep. 06: Madoff Talks, with Guest: Jim Campbell

Link here to Podcast Ep. 05: Trauma and Healing when Mom goes to Prison, with Guests: Jacqueline Polverari and Her Daughters, Alexa & Maria

Link here to Podcast Ep. 04: One-on-One with Tipper X: Tom Hardin

Link here to Podcast Ep. 03: Compassionate Lawyering: Guests, Chris Poulos, Corey Brinson, Bob Herbst & George Hritz

Link here to Podcast Ep. 02: Substance Abuse & Recovery During COVID-19: Guests, Trevor Shevin & Joshua Cagney

Link here to Podcast Ep. 01: Prison & Reentry in the Age of COVID-19: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group.

Link here to Podcast Ep. 00: White Collar Week with Jeff Grant: What is White Collar Week?

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Welcome to White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, a podcast serving the white collar justice community. It’s the isolation that destroys us. The solution is in community.

So I invite you to come along with me as we experience something new, and bold, and different this summer – a podcast that serves the entire white collar justice community. I hope you will join me.

Thank you for listening to White Collar Week.

Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast if you loved it – it helps others suffering in silence find us if they need us!

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Follow White Collar Week on Social:

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Want to be a guest on the Show? Have a connection you’d like to make?

Email us! info@prisonist.org

Credits:

White Collar Week with Jeff Grant
A Podcast Serving the White Collar Justice Community