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Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 84 – No. 15 | December 16-22, 2020
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Stopping the Exploitation of Prisoners and Their Families Requires More Comprehensive Solutions By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
The year 2020 brought renewed global focus to issues of social justice in America. Racial disparities and inequities highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic to the killings of George Floyd and so many other of Black and Brown Americans at the hands of police officers have all contributed to the evolving social justice “reckoning” across the nation. As part of this long overdue redress about institutional and systemic racism, renewed attention should also be focused on the many injustices within the U.S. correctional system. Black and Brown Americans are disproportionately imprisoned in the United States. Much of the public outrage has been directed at the officials who have been unable to prevent the fatal spread of COVID-19 in jails and prisons throughout the country. But in addition, there were too many governors who were unwilling to reduce prison populations by releasing individuals who posed no threat Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. to public safety. As a result, nearly 200,000 incarcerated Americans have been infected as of November 2020 according to the Marshall Project. The criticism of the correctional system does not stop with the prison officials themselves but extends to the full spectrum of private companies that provide services to correctional agencies. Among those that find themselves in the crosshairs of the growing critical scrutiny are a group of specialized telecommunications companies. These companies provide two connected services to the corrections industry: communications tools that people in jails and prisons use to connect with family and people on the outside (telephones, but also modern devices like digital tablets); and security and investigatory tools built into the communications tech, which help correctional agencies monitor for criminal activity. On the surface, these may appear to be both good things. The problem, however, comes in how these products are paid for. See, it’s not the correctional agencies that pay for these services – companies charge for every call made, but it’s the families and friends of the imprisoned making the calls or accepting the calls that end up paying those bills. It obviously costs money to build, install, maintain, and secure this technology. But, not all or even most of this money that is paid for those services goes to the telecoms themselves. What most people do not know is that the government takes a cut of the revenue – in many cases, the lion’s share. For example, in 2018 incarcerated individuals in Connecticut paid $13.2 million for phone calls. Nearly 60% of that money went to the state. Because of this model, the cost of making a call or sending an email from a correctional facility can be much higher than on the outside. And these costs can vary widely from state to state. In 2019, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, the average cost of a call from a jail in New Jersey cost $1.26, while that same call in Arkansas cost $14.49.
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"Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, is inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine by Dr. Michelle Chester on Monday morning in Queens, New York."
A Measure of Hope: What You Need To Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine
By Sherri Kolade In a recent phone interview, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services [MDHHS] Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun shared with the Michigan Chronicle current updates on the COVID-19 vaccine. In Khaldun’s roles, she provides medical guidance for the state of Michigan and oversees the Public Health, Medical Services, Aging and Adult Services, and Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities administrations. According to information from Gov. Whitmer’s press conferences and michigan.gov/vaccine, Michigan is expected to receive a small number of vaccines by mid-December. Because of the limited supply, MDHHS will have to prioritize how the vaccine will be distributed. Supply of the vaccine will increase over the next few months. Those eligible to receive the vaccine first include frontline healthcare workers and more. Until the supply significantly increases, priority will also be given to essential workers and vulnerable populations [like adults 65 years of age and older and adults with high-risk medical conditions]. Also, individuals who are homeless will be given the vaccine through local health departments. While Detroit’s COVID-19 numbers are significantly lower than those in neighboring communities, there is still work to be done as it relates to debunking myths about the COVID-19 vaccine, she said. Khaldun said that the skepticism is understandable, especially in communities of color. However, these same communities are the very ones who are most susceptible to COVID-19 and she is “most concerned” about that impact.
“We will be working on being as transparent as possible [providing information to] the communities so people can make good choices,” Khaldun said. “We don’t want communities of color to miss out on this tool.” Khaldun added that the vaccine information, once it is made available, will be communicated in different languages and delivered to communities in several ways. “We will be doing more and more to get [the word to] all the different media outlets,” she said, adding stakeholders are involved in that translation process. The MDHHS has also been working with local health departments and hospital leaders and healthcare providers regarding the vaccine. Robert Swanson, MDHHS Division of Immunizations director spoke about the update regarding the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Michigan on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] Panel approving the COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendation would allow for the regulatory agency to approve emergency authorization soon. During the meeting, information was also provided about the distribution of the vaccine, priority groups for vaccination, and efficacy and safety information currently available. Swanson said that vaccines are only approved if they are held to the highest safety standards. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine’s been developed “much faster this time” because of the worldwide collaboration of health and medical doctors in a collective effort. “No steps were skipped in this process,” he said, adding that the same steps were taken as with any other vaccine.
“What we’re hoping is the Pfizer vaccine is available next week,” Khaldun said, adding that hopefully by late spring 2021 it can be made available to the general population. It’s also not lost on Khaldun, a Black doctor, that the Black community has undergone many healthcare disparities before and during COVID19. That is why she said that the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities is a game-changer and is playing an important role in bridging the gap in healthcare equity. “We have been meeting pretty regularly with the … task force,” she said, adding that the nascent task force will inform the public on the vaccine benefits and spread the word on the MDHHS policy throughout this pandemic. The MDHHS-backed report identifies COVID-19 cases by race from March 10 through October. The data states that death rates have been higher among Black and African American people than other race categories. Black people make up 14 percent of the state’s population but accounted for 40 percent of the death rate and 32 percent of the positive cases, Khaldun confirmed. The collective death rate has been more than three times the rate in white people. “We want to close that disparity when it comes to having disproportionate numbers of deaths,” Khaldun said. “Any success we have seen in the African American community is quite fragile. I’m concerned about vaccine hesitancy in the minority community … if you have vaccine availability and choose to not get the vaccine you will see that gap because other communities who choose to have the vaccine and take it will be protected.”
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Michigan Election Results Finalized During Electoral College Meeting On Monday, December 14, Michigan held its meeting of electors in the Senate chamber of the Michigan Capitol Building to cast all 16 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Electoral College, a press release confirmed. “Today, Michigan has spoken with one voice as the 16 electors voted unanimously to finalize Michigan’s election results in the Electoral College,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. “During the worst public health crisis we have seen in our lifetime, more than 5.5 million Michiganders from all walks of life and all corners of the state cast their votes during this historic election. In the end, Michigan has chosen a clear winner for the office of president of the United States, and for every elected office down the ballot. No matter your party or who you cast your ballot for in November, now is the time to put this election behind us and focus on eliminating COVID-19 together.”
the United States Senate and 14 members of the United States House of Representatives, the press release detailed. “Michigan has proven that the foundation of our democracy and the principles that we collectively cherish can withstand even the most divisive of times,” Lt. Governor Gilchrist said. “Today’s Electoral College vote caps off an historic election that was safe, fair, and secure. It is time for our state and our nation to come together to solve our most immediate challenges and look to create countless opportunities for future generations.”
In total, more than 5.5 million votes were cast during the General Election -- with 2,804,040 votes (50.62 percent) for Biden/ Harris compared to 2,649,852 votes (47.84 percent) for Trump/ Pence. Under Michigan law, the electors are required to cast their ballots for the candidate
who won the most votes during the General Election, according to a press release. As stipulated by the U.S. Constitution, Michigan’s representation in the Electoral College consists of 16 electors, which is equal to the cumulative number of Michigan’s two members of
Whitmer said that “the people have spoken.” “It was a safe, fair, and secure election – it was the kind of election our founding fathers envisioned when they built this country,” she added. “And after today, the results will be final. It’s time to move forward together as one United States of America.