Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Requiring Testing For Prisoners Transferring To State Facilities

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(WWJ) Governor Gretchen Whitmer is ramping up testing protocols for inmates transferring to state prison facilities from local or county jails.

Under a revised Executive Order (EO-2020-170) signed by the Governor Saturday; Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) must conduct testing when any prisoner enters, transfers or is released from the facility.

Read EO-2020-170 here.

The order also “suspends transfers from jails that do not adopt comparable protocols,” according to a press release from the Governor’s office.

“Testing is the at the very center of any strategy to keep prison and jail populations safe. By reducing the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails, we protect corrections officers and their families, incarcerated people, and the whole community,” Whitmer said in the press release. “The Michigan Department of Corrections has been a leader for states across the country in COVID-19 response.”

Jails will have until September 8th to comply. The state also promised to support the testing efforts through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

The order identifies “risk reduction protocols for MDOC, and any jails transferring inmates into MDOC by:

  • Screening all persons arriving or departing from a facility in a manner consistent with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.  
  • Isolating and testing any inmate who has one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, sore throat, a new uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, new onset of a severe headache, and new loss of taste or smell. 
  • Opening windows and doors, and using fans, to increase air circulation to the extent feasible.  
  • Requiring inmates and staff to wear and mask and practice social distancing. 
  • Conducting routine cleaning and sanitization consistent with CDC guidelines, as well as ensure protective laundering protocols are in place.  
  • Minimizing crowding or gatherings of 10 people or more

The state is “strongly encouraging” juvenile detention centers to adopt these protocols.

MDHHS reports 4,889 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Michigan Department of Corrections facilities with at least 69 deaths.