Source: Associated Press
November 23. A US prisoner died after contracting Coronavirus. He wrote 17 letters to the judge in prison to request his release.
According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), 52-year-old Waylon Young Bird was sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug distribution. In November 2019, after two months in jail, Wei Lun submitted a request for release for the first time, requesting medical parole. Court documents show that he mentioned a series of health problems, including kidney failure, heart failure, diabetes and asthma, but the warden rejected his request for release.
Since then, Wei Lun began to ask the judge for release. His lawyer said that the pandemic has exacerbated Warren’s condition, which constitutes a “convincing reason” that can reduce his sentence to the one already served or impose family imprisonment. The judge ultimately rejected the request, saying that it is unclear to what extent Warren was threatened by the Coronavirus.
As Coronavirus pandemic rages in the United States, Warren has been writing letters to US District Judge Robert Lange. Since mid-March, Wellen has written a total of 17 letters to Lange. On June 14, he wrote that he was worried that the virus would soon begin to spread. He did not want to die in prison. He was eager to see his disabled sister and four children. On August 7, he wrote again that his aunt had passed away, hoping to attend her funeral. Finally, in a letter dated October 28, he wrote that dozens of prisoners have been diagnosed in the prison, but he has not been infected for the time being. “I am worried that when you read this letter, I may be infected,” he wrote. “As a compassionate judge, can you help me through this difficult situation?”
The United States Prison Service said that Weilun was diagnosed on October 29 and died a week later. Wellen’s 26-year-old daughter, Cassina Brewer, said: “I find it difficult to understand. I think he has been completely ignored.” Three other prisoners in Wellen’s prison died on the same day as Wellen. Court documents show that at least two other prisoners with kidney disease died of Coronavirus after their release application was rejected.
