In mid-August, Saginaw’s Cangela Johnson wrote a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, State Rep Vanessa Guerra and Mayor Floyd Kloc, among others. Rep. Guerra and a representative for the governor have promised to look into the matter. Mayor Kloc informed her that Saginaw city officials have no jurisdiction over state prisons, but he considerately forwarded her note to local news media, including myself.
The following three paragraphs comprise her plea:
Hello, my name is Cangela Johnson. I am contacting you because of my deepest love and concern for my husband Derrick LaVar Johnson #258779 who is being housed at MUSKEGON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. There has been a COVID-19 outbreak since July 24, 2020. Within a couple of weeks, over half of the population got infected with the coronavirus. My husband has taken a series of tests on the following dates: August 4, 2020, August 7, 2020, August 12, 2020. Derrick has been a model inmate during his tenure at MCF. He has been at MCF since October 2016. Derrick was participating in the prison fellowship dorm (unit 6) before the pandemic took over the country.
Derrick informs me of everything that has taken place since the major outbreak. There are a few things that concern and worry me of his safety and well-being. Derrick was recently removed from Unit 6 to Unit 3. Derrick states to me that the previous unit he was in had the very least amount of positive cases from July 24, 2020 to August 4, 2020. Ideally this would be considered a COVID-19 free unit. On August 10, 2020 around 2 a.m., Derrick and seventy nine other inmates were being moved to unit 3 per Deputy Warden Steward. Derrick clearly depicts to me what he witnesses upon entering the unit. He describes, “the inmates were running amuck throughout the unit as if they were having a COVID-19 party. I can feel the sickness, the filth, and the despair. I can see the sickness in their eyes.” I am bewildered and angered by what my husband is sharing with me because I know that he is doing everything within his abilities to stay safe in there. My question to you is, why would the MCF staff move him from a safe zone to an entirely infected zone? Was this intentionally done? It just makes no sense! Derrick further states, “The cell was not disinfected, and a fellow inmate told me to be very careful because there are many infected inmates in the housing unit there will be a removal of thirty positive cases come morning.” My husband and I are God fearing, but I still question why would someone think that sending a negative-tested person to an environment with a multitude of infected people be the just thing to do. Derrick expresses his fear, anguish, and confusion to me daily. I have never experience this much frustration and stress coming from him. Derrick states, “Deputy Warden Steward and Assistant Deputy Warden Miller duped me to believing that Unit 3 was safe to be housed in.” From August 10, 2020 to August August 14, 2020 it has been a total nightmare for the both of us. During that time period, he has witnessed over one hundred inmates who tested positive for COVID-19 get removed from unit 3. Derrick’s life has been placed in grave danger I am fearful that he might catch the virus because MCF mishandled the outbreak. Derrick has been filing grievances and talking to Administration about his dreadful moving. He told me that he spoke with PC Antes about the move, PC Antes states, “This was all Lansing’s doing. Lansing moved you without knowing the results.” Is this what leadership looks like? I voted for these people, and this is how they treat me and my family? Do not kill my husband!
Unit 2 is where the first positive was identified. Within days, that unit was filled with positive cases. Units 3, 4, and 5 had infections as well. But Unit 3 started growing positive cases just as Unit 2 did. Unit 6, which is the unit was my husband was being housed was a fairly safe environment. It seems as if MCF is trying to infect all inmates. I need some clear and true answers, unlike the lies that have been maliciously told to the public already. Spokesman Brazee has already lied about the facility not mixing negative cases with positive cases. I am sick and tired of MCF trying to control the narrative with lies and cover-ups. Please help resolve this matter because things are extremely out of control at MCF. Thank you for your valuable time.”
And then, on the evening of August 26, Cangela learned that her husband indeed has contracted COVID-19.
Her husband is a childhood friend who began serving a life sentence in 1997 for a homicide when he was a teenager. They speak by phone daily and she drives across the state to visit twice per month. She works two jobs, one as a leasing consultant for an apartment complex and another as a cashier.
Statewide, reports indicate that 13 percent of the 37,000 prisoners have been COVID-19 infected. This is 10 times higher than Michigan’s pedestrian rate of infection. At Muskegon, the count has soared to half of all inmates.
Cangela says she is not normally into letter-writing or politics, but she will continue to pursue this issue on behalf of her husband and for the sake of all inmates. She sums up, “Whatever it takes.” To send her a note, she has a Facebook page and her email is cangelajohnson0905@yahoo.com.
