Prisoner sentenced after last year s Wellston attempted ATM theft michigansthumb.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from michigansthumb.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Daily Telegram
JACKSON A Morenci man who was sentenced to prison earlier this year died last week in a correctional facility in Jackson.
Donovan James-Bovee Cool s death on April 10 is considered to be from COVID-19, though his death is under investigation and that determination could change following an autopsy, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz said in an email.
Cool was at the Charles Egeler Reception & Guidance Center. That is the facility where male prisoners are first sent before they are transferred to another facility.
Cool had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and was found unresponsive in his cell, Gautz said
Since 1980, Michigan’s biggest growth industry has been its prison system.
It is a dubious distinction, as the state devotes a bigger share of its general fund budget to prisons than any other state. With annual spending of about $2 billion, Michigan pumps more money into corrections than higher education. And the state keeps its prisoners behind bars longer than the national average.
Conservatives and liberals alike are now saying it is a price Michigan can no longer afford. While opposition to change remains, critics are renewing a push for reforms that include reducing sentencing guidelines for many non-violent crimes, changes in parole procedures and release of some sick and elderly prisoners that cost upwards of $200,000 a year just for mental health and medical care.