Written by: Merete Fields
According to a recent CNN article, new reports find that prison inmates are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 than those on the outside. Even worse, in a recent article in the Jama Network the COVID-19 case rate for prisoners was 5.5 times higher than the US population case rate of 587 per 100,000.
Just as COVID-19 has hit everyone across the nation, it also has greatly affected the incarceration population. And we were able to see this in true form when we spoke with our own Lana Hampton. For those who may not be familiar with her story, Lana has been convicted for a construction embezzlement scheme. For more of her story visit our full article for their exclusive interview.
While serving time in Greenville, IL, Lana Hampton (as many other inmates across the country) feared how COVID-19 would impact her. And with no proper COVID-19 policy for prison employees, inmates have a real concern and fear that they will contract the virus. This is especially the case for black women.
According to Lana Hampton, there has been discrimination against the release of Black women. The Department of Justice (DOJ) created guidelines to respond to COVID-19, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) operates at their discretion. Although the DOJ recommended inmates with non-violent crimes and have served 50% of their sentence to be able to serve their time in home confinement or the medically non-violent vulnerable population; sadly this is not the case for all inmates–especially Black women.
In Lana’s camp there are 246 inmates and roughly 30 are African American in the satellite camps (which are not a threat to society). Of the women who qualify for the COVID-19 release program, over 30 have been white and only 5 of them have been Black. As time gets closer for Black women to be released from prison, the qualifications and policy mysteriously changes. Even though there are a number of Black women with autoimmune deficiencies (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, chronic heart failure, etc. they are still required to stay in prison under subpar health conditions and it is unclear on why. It seems as though administration is picking and choosing who is released. And when any of the women ask leadership, there have been instances of retaliation.
As Lana states, “I committed a crime but not to the magnitudes of a death sentence.” What is happening to these women is an injustice and we have to do our part by voicing our concern.
Listen to Lana’s audio below!
