THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934
April 23-29, 2020 Vol. 86 No. 38
85Anniversary
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1934 - 20 19
“AS IT WAS SPOKEN ... LET US RECORD.”
Hennepin County jail population cut by 44% Protective measures reveal ‘way too many people in the jail’
By Analise Pruni Contributing writer
D
etention centers and jails around the country are scrambling to reduce their populations to help decrease the spread of COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Hennepin County proves to be no exception. The Hennepin County jail population has gone from 815 on March 16 to 456 on April 14. The facility has had only one reported and confirmed case of someone testing positive for the coronavirus as protocols have been put in place to protect inmates and workers. “The first step was getting that population down,” said Chief The clock marks where Hennepin County Jail sits in City Hall in downtown Minneapolis. Deputy Tracey Martin of the Photo by Paige Elliott Hennepin County Sheriff’s Of“I think ultimately we’re go- Working with HCMC, the Min- deputies and the healthcare staff.” fice. “It was working with the Physical distancing is encourjudicial staff, with Hennepin ing to find that we have held nesota Department of Health, aged with reduced populations, and various other public safety ,” County Attorney’s Office, De- too many people in jail pretrial agencies, the Hennepin County stricter admittance processes are Sheriff’s Office released a plan to enforced, and contact from peocurb the potential spread of the ple outside the facility has largely been eliminated. virus in its facilities. “One of the first things we did “They really started looking at what we needed to do and what was suspend all social visiting,” partment of Community Cor- mused Hennepin County Chief procedures we needed to imple- Martin said. “Obviously that’s rections and Rehabilitations, the Public Defender Mary Moriarity. ment to ensure that we keep really tough to do, because peoSafety measures taken in- everybody as safe as possible ple within our facilities, they rePublic Defender’s Office, the clude creating ways to reduce within our detention facility,” ally rely on those visits from their City Attorney’s Office; it’s just a the inmate population as well as Martin said. “Not only inmates loved ones.” huge collaboration amongst evEveryone who works within the health and sanitation proce- but all of the workers that come erybody to take a look at that and the secure perimeters of the jail is in on a daily basis, including the dures that have been introduced. see what we could do.”
“I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be a client being held in jail, being scared.”
temperature-tested and screened. Accused coming in are put into single cells rather than dormitory or group settings to initially monitor them for signs of illness. Martin added that they also have Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves for deputy staff and medical staff that come in contact with inmates, as well as for inmates who exhibit signs of infection. “To date we have only had one positive test, and we’re happy about it, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed because we also know that this spreads quickly and it spreads easily,” Martin added. “We’re very cautious, and we’re keeping all of our new protocols in place.” While practicing innovative ways to limit the number of pretrial accused in the detention centers, lawyers from the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office and others are nevertheless continuing to interact in court with in-custody clients. “It’s really tough because our lawyers are very client-centered and they work very hard at developing relationships with clients, and you don’t do that by standing six feet away from them,” said Moriarty. “But our staff understands that we are protecting our clients by maintaining those boundaries, and we have to have those conversations with clients about why we’re do-
Pandemic is pushing us toward a ‘new normal’
The national NAACP is holding virtual town hall meetings throughout the month of April to discuss the health, economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s Black communities. In addiion to providing excerpts from these
Dr. Peter Hayden Turning Point CEO Courtesy Turning Point
meetings as they occur over the comng weeks, the MSR also is talking o others both locally and nationally bout the impact the coronavirus outbreak is having or may have on our ocal Black community. This week:
of physical court proceedings some of the law is going digi tal. “We’ve set up quite a routine of remote hearings where our prosecutor is re mote, a lawyer is remote, and even the hearing judge is re mote,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. “We have a thing in Hennepin County called ‘Teams,’ which is a little bit like Zoom except it’s more secure.” He said that while they are continuing to charge for ■See JAIL on page 5
Whether better or worse than the ‘old normal’ remains to be seen
Part 2 of a continuing story
By Charles Hallman Contributing writer
ing what we’re doing.” She added that “The sheriff’s office has done an outstanding job with coordinating with doc tors from Hennepin Health Care in developing a protocol.” Moriarty said that lawyers wear masks for these interactions but misinformation surrounding how these protections can work has created confusion and fear not only for the public but also in the detention centers. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be a client be ing held in jail, being scared,” she said. “You’re scared anyways and you’re not quite sure what accurate information is.” Other precautions such as a plexiglass screen in court separating the accused from their lawyers and judges make communication diffi cult among all parties. In lieu
addressing communities’ spiritual vices for the past several weeks: “I’ve seen in the faith community and mental states. a better response to faith at a time e are daily reminded when perhaps faith could have of the mortality toll the been a little waning when the COVID-19 outbreak has had on America in general and on the Black community in particular. Less is known of the toll the stayat-home orders since late March has had and continues to exact on the community’s spiritual and pandemic hit us,” Howell told mental state in these uncertain the MSR. “Our concern is that the faith days. The NAACP’s new Faith For- community remains strong and ward Initiative “to acknowledge encouraged, not lose hope and and lift up the role of religious faith in a pandemic that is unprecinstitutions as beacons of hope, edented in our history.” Howell healing, and as direct service added that he is “amazed by the providers in communities all number of people that are watchacross the country and world” ing us” through social media. The Pew Research Center, a was formed earlier this month. “There is a need to be social, to national non-partisan group, rebe connected with others, and cently found through a survey for those not used to being alone, that four in 10 Americans attend this can be very painful psycho- “virtual” religious services, and logically,” said Bishop Richard 59% say their religious habits Howell, pastor of Shiloh Temple have changed due to the coronavirus outbreak. International Ministries. “As faith leaders, we have tried His church and others have resorted to holding “virtual” ser- to encourage people…to follow
W
our governor’s orders and stay home,” Howell continued. “That is unusual for many because isolation definitely can set in where people don’t know what to do
“I’d rather be in the house for five weeks than be in the grave for eternity.”
among Black females of all ages from 1999 to 2017. Suicide is among the 10 leading causes of death and the second-leading cause of death for youth and young adults ages 10-34, the CDC reports. “Pre-COVID-19 we have a woefully underfunded mental health system in this country,” Harris said. Nationally renowned author and motivational speaker Ivlana Vanzant suggested, “We have to be creative, faith-filled and focused” in dealing with the crisis. “I’d rather be in the house for five weeks than be in the grave for
with their time and their energy. But we as a faith community are very encouraged that good things will come out of this.” Mental health “is taking its time in the spotlight” during this crisis, American Medical Association President Dr. Patrice Harris of the American Medical Association said April 15 during the second in a series of NAACP virtual town hall meetings. Not being able to leave home or perform regular activities can be stressful, and can lead to more anxiety, she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide rates have increased by 9% Bishop Richard Howell among Black males and 65% Courtesy of Shiloh Temple
eternity.” Turning Point, Inc. Founde President Peter Hayden said tha stay-home-orders have forced hi substance abuse treatment cente to adjust how they meet thei clients’ needs. “We’re open,” h affirmed. “We can’t take as man clients as we normally could, b cause we had to rearrange ou building” due to social distan ing guidelines,” he said. “We are following all of th rules from the state and the go ernor” and adjusting norma business hours to maintain Tur ing Point’s services for existin clients, Hayden said, adding tha visitors—even clients’ famil members—aren’t allowed insid the building at this time. “You have to call in. Both Hayden and Howe predict there will be a new no mal for everyone in post-COVID America. “The pandemic is no going to eradicate the dispar ties,” Bishop Howell stresse “but something brand new could come out of this, a new normal tha ■See NAACP on page 5
Healthcare industry bias portends trouble for Blacks during pandemic
overpass, when suddenly a City of Miami police officer pulled up behind him. From his patrol car, the uniUniversity of Miami Health System physician Armen Hen- formed officer began to innocuderson was loading supplies into ously question Henderson, who his van recently, preparing to test is Black. Henderson described he city’s homeless population the encounter like this: "He [the or the coronavirus under an I-95 officer] just said, 'Are you littering over here? Do you live here? Do you work here?' And I was like, 'Yes, I live here. This is where we put our bulky trash and the City comes to pick it up every week at this same place." Suddenly, the encounter turned sinister, Henderson said. The officer jumped from the car “and started yelling, 'You call me sir or sergeant when I'm talking to you.’ I never said I was a doctor. But I didn’t cuss,” Henderson told the MSR. “He PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
By Jon Jeter Contributing writer
just grabbed my arms and cuffed me.” Henderson said when the officer started to handcuff him he called for his wife to bring him his ID. A video of the incident taken by the couple’s home security cameras show Henderson’s wife exiting the house moments later with what appears to be a driver’s license. The video shows the officer releasing Henderson from handcuffs several moments later. The video has been viewed over seven million times on vari-
the coronavirus pandemic is nearly twice as deadly for Blacks and Latinos as it is for Whites. There are, in point of fact, two scourges for two Americas—one biological, one man-made. While Whites need only concern themselves with the first, People of Color generally, and 42 million African Americans especially are tasked with surviving the worst global pandemic in a century. They must do so with no more material resources than their ancestors owned on New
“I can definitely see bias creeping into decisions about who gets ventilators.” Years’ Day in 1863 when Abraous social media forums. “He just got in his car and ham Lincoln signed the Emancidrove away,” Henderson told the pation Proclamation. What this means is that the MSR, “without apologizing.” The confrontation between same racist attitudes that comthe two men on the last Saturday pel law-enforcement officers to in March helps to explain why terrorize Blacks in the streets are
often shared by some medical professionals who treat African American patients with a cold indifference. A recent study by the American Bar Association concluded that, aside from wide racial disparities in access to health care, “Black people simply are not receiving the same quality of health care that their White counterparts are receiving.” The ABA continued, “For ex-
ample, one study of 400 hospitals in the United States showed tha Black patients with heart dis ease received older, cheaper, and more conservative treatments than their White counterparts Black patients were less likely to receive coronary bypass opera tions and angiography. After sur gery, they are discharged earlier from the hospital than White pa