BLACKMAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As the state works to get its roughly 38,000 prison inmates tested for coronavirus, the family of one inmate killed by COVID-19 isn't happy with how the Michigan Department of Corrections handled it.
A third of inmates in MDOC custody who died from COVID-19 were housed at facilities in Blackman Township.
"I was really shocked," said Edgar Shellenbarger.
He was surprised to get the call from a Detroit hospital a couple of weeks ago saying his uncle had COVID-19.
His uncle, Larry Boise, was serving a life sentence at Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Blackman Township.
"I didn't even get a call from the Department of Corrections saying he was ill or they've taken him to the hospital," said Shellenbarger.
Boise, who also had COPD, died Friday in the hospital.
Shellenbarger said he felt it should be the MDOC's responsibility to contact the family since prisoners are in their care.
Department spokesman Chris Guatz said the hospital or the prison will get in touch with family, not both.
"There wouldn't be a reason for the prison to also call the family to relay the same information if they already received it from the doctor," said Guatz.
Guatz said this isn't something new for staff because about 200 inmates die in Michigan prisons every year.
But, it's too early to tell if those calls are happening more often this year.
"We're pulling that data together to look at what the death rate has been for this month compared to previous months since the onset of this virus," said Guatz.
The MDOC said every prisoner and staff member across the state were given three masks.
The department said it is also using this pandemic to remind prisoners and their families to make sure emergency contact is updated.
Inmates at the Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson County are being tested for COVID-19 this week.
More than half of the inmates at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater tested positive when testing expanded.
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