The federal prison in Coleman appears to be battling another spike in cases of the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus.
On Wednesday, the prison reported 366 cases among 260 inmates and 106 staff members. That number marked an increase of 46 cases from Tuesday when the facility identified 320 cases among 212 inmates and 108 staff members.
The majority of the cases – 139 – have been reported in the medium-security wing of the massive complex. Of those, 105 are inmates and 34 are staff members. There have been two inmate deaths in that wing, while 139 inmates and one staff member have recovered from the virus.
Another 114 cases have been reported in the two high-security wings among 65 inmates and 49 staff members. In those facilities, 91 inmates and 14 staff members also have recovered from the virus.
The low-security wing is reporting another 110 cases among 87 inmates and 23 staff members. One inmate and one staff member from that wing has died as a result of the virus, while 139 inmates and six staff members have recovered from the illness.
Three of the 260 deaths aren’t accounted for in the report provided Wednesday by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. That report is updated on a daily basis and sometimes the reporting process lags behind real time.
Overall, the Federal Bureau of Prisons houses close to 126,699 inmates in facilities across the United States and has a staff of about 36,000. As of Wednesday, 1,886 prisoners and 717 staff members had confirmed positive test results for COVID-19.
All told, 13,057 federal inmates and 1,133 staff members have recovered from COVID-19. But 124 inmates and two staff members have died as a result of the illness.
The Coleman prison complex sits on about 1,600 acres and as of 2010 was the largest correctional facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The inmates at the facility, on average, serve sentences of about 10 years.
Over the years, the prison has housed a variety of high-profile inmates. Convicted pedophile Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University team doctor, was moved there in August 2018 after allegedly being attacked in an Arizona prison. Somalia pirate Gabul Abdullah Ali and al-Qaeda sympathizer Amine El Khalifi also were believed to have served time there. And the late James “Whitey” Bulger, the famed Boston crime boss, was moved there in late 2014.
This past April, former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was released from the facility after completing less than half of her 60-month sentence for corruption and fraud charges. The 73-year Brown is serving the remainder of her sentence under home confinement. She suffers from high blood pressure, sleep apnea, low estrogen and acid reflux and was released because of concerns surrounding the Coronavirus.
