News Information and Media Site: Surviving COVID in prisons

THE BIG STORY

Incarcerated people faced huge disparities trying to flee COVID-19 in prisons

According to new data, as the coronavirus pandemic raged through prisons in 2020, federal judges approved more than 2,500 petitions for compassionate release — roughly 21% of the more than 12,000 requests filed.

But incarcerated people who petitioned for compassionate release faced dramatically different outcomes depending on their location. Oregon had the highest rate of approval: federal judges there granted 68.5% of compassionate release requests (63 out of 92). Judges in the US Virgin Islands granted zero requests, denying all 5 petitions.

When considering the requests, judges focused on whether a person faced a higher risk of a severe case of COVID-19 because of their existing health problems or age. Still, having an underlying medical condition or being older didn't guarantee success.

To date, 238 people have died of COVID-19 while in federal custody, and nearly 45,000 federally incarcerated people have contracted the disease, according to publicly available statistics.

The Metropolitan Detention Center, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, in Brooklyn. Brendan Mcdermid / Reuters

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Here's how the Muslim family killed while taking a walk is being remembered

Last week, London, Ontario was shaken by the killing of Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife, Madiha Salman, 44; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna Afzaal; and Salman Afzaal's mother, Talat Afzaal. They were killed as they were walking on a sidewalk.

Police have said the driver, a 20-year-old man who has been charged with murder, did not know the family but targeted them because of their faith.

On Saturday, the victims were remembered as gentle souls during a public funeral ceremony.

Standing next to four caskets draped in Canadian flags outside the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario, an uncle of Madiha said, "four fountains of sweetness were taken away."

SNAPSHOTS

Darnella Frazier, the teen who filmed George Floyd's murder, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize special citation. The board said Frazier's video highlighted "the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice." The Pulitzer Prize is the highest honor in journalism.

A man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after getting into a fight over his face mask. "If I have it, you have it!" Shane Michael reportedly said after spitting on a man during a violent fight outside an eyewear store. He was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison.

Trump's State Department officials fought over whether the coronavirus was a Chinese bioweapon. The department's former senior official on nonproliferation says he intervened to prevent the US government from "embarrassing and discrediting" itself with claims that lacked strong scientific evidence.

A woman is suing a state trooper who flipped her car over while she was pregnant. Nicole Harper was 2 months pregnant when an Arkansas state trooper, using a police driving maneuver, flipped her car over on a highway for not pulling over quickly enough.

A MOMENT TO BRAG

BuzzFeed News has won its first Pulitzer

Normally, this section of the newsletter is reserved for the deeper-dive stories we do at BuzzFeed News. Perhaps a longform essay, or an investigative piece that our reporters spent weeks or months reporting out.

So it's fitting that today, this section is occupied with the fruit of that reporting. On Friday, it was announced that BuzzFeed News won its first Pulitzer prize. We won the highest honor in journalism for a series of innovative articles that used satellite images, 3D architectural models, and daring in-person interviews to expose China's vast infrastructure for detaining hundreds of thousands of Muslims in its Xinjiang region.

In addition to the win, our FinCEN Files investigation, the largest-ever investigative reporting project, which exposed corruption in the global banking industry, was honored as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

I'll just speak for myself here, and say: I've consistently been in awe of the work that comes out of our newsroom, and it's so satisfying to see it being recognized like this. Not half-bad for a 9-year-old news organization, eh?

LISTEN WITH PRIDE

21 LGBTQ memoirs you need to listen to

For Pride Month, we've been highlighting extraordinary work from LGBTQ authors, and today we thought you should know about these audiobook memoirs. From the hilarious to the poignant to the thought-provoking, these are perfect listens for Pride Month and beyond.

Allow yourself some space and ease in to your day today,

Elamin

📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

👉 Your support of BuzzFeed's journalism does not constitute a charitable donation, and your contribution is not eligible for a tax-deduction. This is part of an effort to explore a deeper relationship with our most active supporters.

🔔 Want to be notified as soon as news breaks? Download the BuzzFeed News app for iOS and Android (available in Canadian, UK, Australian, and US app stores).

💌 Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to get BuzzFeed News in your inbox!