Mark Trammell hadn't been a free man since he was a teenager, but this year he hoped that was about to change.
Set for parole in February, Trammell was ready to go home to see his family. After more than 40 years for voluntary manslaughter and kidnapping in South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) facilities, he wanted his last moments to be outside prison walls. His stage 4 liver cancer, the result of untreated hepatitis, would make him particularly vulnerable to diseases like COVID-19.
Not only would he be denied parole, but by June 6 he would die in a Columbia, South Carolina hospital from COVID-19.
Though initially his death was erroneously reported to his family as related to his cancer, Trammell would be one of the first reported COVID-19 deaths at an SCDC facility. Advocates and his family believe that Trammell was exposed to the virus while undergoing cancer treatments at the medical unit inside Kirkland Correctional Institute.
His death is only one instance of what activists, families and SCDC inmates said is a pattern of larger failures by SCDC to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charges of poor COVID response
Troubles with staffing, a backlog of testing, issues with food and cleaning supplies and a chaotic quarantine plan all play into what is being seen as a failure for a state prison system that had previously been heralded by some, like Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, for its innovative criminal justice reforms.
In June, Lee had praised SCDC Executive Director Bryan Stirling for “tremendous leadership in implementing smart criminal justice reforms ... that based on my understanding managed to simultaneously bring down the incarceration rate and the recidivism rate. That’s the holy grail.”
The scope and size of the COVID-19 related failures has prompted some legislators in Columbia, the state’s capital, to react. Some have indicated they will hold hearings in September in response to the department’s pandemic response.
State Sen. Mike Fanning, a Democrat from Rock Hill, said if the allegations could be proved, it warranted an investigation.
“I’ve found SCDC to be a very transparent group, but if these allegations are indeed true, that’s incredibly shocking,” he said.
The most recent numbers show that 1,675 of their reported 15,932 inmates have tested positive for the virus and 709 have recovered. 16 inmates have died, according to SCDC social media.
‘South Carolina had plenty of time to plan for this’
Trammell’s family only found out about his COVID-related diagnosis once SCDC tweeted about it, said daughter-in-law Tammy Standard. Until they saw his name listed among the COVID-related deaths on Twitter, the family had been told he died from complications due to his cancer.
Courtesy of inmate
An inmate at Livesay Correctional Institute, who asked not to be named because of fear of backlash, sent this letter to advocates that detailed the conditions inside the facilities.
“The idea that his life was cut short because of the carelessness and because of a lack of an emergency plan is heartbreaking,” Standard said. “The idea that [SCDC does not] have an emergency plan, we have hurricanes, we have states of emergency — especially when you have something that we knew was coming. South Carolina had plenty of time to plan for this. We were symptom-free and case-free for months while the rest of the country suffered.”
SCDC issued a formal COVID-19 action plan on March 16, which included testing guidelines, and the designation of certain high-risk categories that could be most heavily affected by the disease.
Chrysti Shain, a spokesperson for SCDC, disagreed that the family was misled about Trammell’s cause of death.
Trammell friend and prison advocate Theresa Bebeabu says Shain contacted her and listed his cause of death as being from complications of his cancer.
“It wasn’t until about an hour later after I talked to her that I saw on Twitter that [he] had the COVID-19,” Bebeabu said.
Pastor Thomas Dixon, a community organizer with The Coalition, a Charleston-based group dedicated to advocating around social issues, says he is unsurprised SCDC would initially mislead the family about Trammel’s cause of death.
“Ultimately once an offender is convicted and processed into SCDC, their safety and wellbeing becomes the charge of the state,” Dixon said. “Sooner or later someone is going to come along and say I’m going to sue because of somebody's negligence. Before that happens I’m sure their damage control, no matter how flawed it is, is going to take care of it.”
‘People are dying around me’
Since the pandemic began to sweep through the SCDC facilities in mid-May, inmates and their families have said it’s been difficult adjusting to new quarantine rules.
One facility at Tyger River Correctional Institute near Spartanburg, South Carolina, is in a state of quarantine until officials say inmates no longer test positive.
One inmate who tested positive for COVID and spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from SCDC, said he has been in a kind of lockdown for nearly 50 days.
“People are having bad reactions, especially older people. People are dying around me,” the inmate said. “My body can take the COVID but my mind is crashing. Nobody comes in and talks to us, we don’t see any doctors and nurses.”
According to SCDC policy, sent by the department only after prisoner interviews had taken place, inmates within SCDC are forbidden from speaking to reporters over the phone. Prison officials can punish inmates and their families for speaking about conditions inside SCDC facilities.
Inmates left without supervision
Corrections staff have been absent from facilities for long stretches, and inmates will go hours before seeing an officer, even during emergencies, the inmate said. During one incident in June, the inmate recalled that a fellow inmate fell unconscious in his unit and staff would not respond to his pleas for help. Inmates had to break a fire sprinkler system and flood their unit before officers would assist.
SCDC officials deny that inmates were required to break a sprinkler system, stating they received no reports to this effect.
When asked about the guard shortages, Stirling blamed COVID relief programs that provide extra unemployment funds to the jobless.
“Unfortunately one of the things that we have to compete against is the federal government — and what I mean by that is you can make more on unemployment than coming to work for us,” Stirling said. “The only thing that will help us with staffing is for the economy to turn down. There’s an inverse relationship between our staffing and the economy.”
The program Stirling is referencing, part of the Federal CARES act, provided individuals receiving unemployment with an extra $600 to mitigate the economic damage of the pandemic.
The program ran out of money on July 25 and it remains unclear when, if ever, it will be reauthorized.
SCDC’s website states that nearly 406 staff members have reported COVID-19 symptoms, though inmates and advocates believe the number to be much higher.
According to its website, SCDC only requires staff to self-report symptoms. Staff could lie or mislead medical officials to prevent being asked to go home from work because they're worried about losing money, one inmate said.
According to the World Health Organization, around 80% of all COVID-19 cases present with either mild or no symptoms.
Additionally, inmates at several facilities claim that staff typically don’t wear personal protective equipment and that when staff are asked to wear masks and gloves, they react violently or deny the existence of the virus altogether.
One inmate’s fiancee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of SCDC retaliation, reported that staff regularly curse at inmates.
“You better shut the fuck up, I don't have to wear this shit, fuck COVID, COVID is not real,” a sergeant at Tyger River told inmates. “If I don't come in here to feed you then you won’t eat because I'm the only one here."
Stirling later condemned the sergeant, stating that corrections officers are supposed to treat inmates with respect.
“They’re required to wear” PPE, he said. “There would be some type of discipline, and I can’t get into specifics because I just don’t know, but I know they’re encouraged to wear it. They’re also not supposed to curse or swear. I want our folks to be professional. I want our folks to interact with those in their care professionally.”
SCDC officials also said all correctional officers who come into contact with staff are required to wear PPE when interacting with inmates.
Those who cannot wear PPE are given alternative assignments, away from inmates.
“They do sign something that says something that says they can’t wear a mask, and what we do is put them on a post that does not interact with inmates or other employees,” said Dr. April T. Singleton Clark, interim deputy director of medical services for SCDC.
Photos from inside facilities appear to confirm what inmates and families are alleging, with one officer in Kershaw Correctional Institute, in Lancaster County, even wearing an N-95 respirator on his head while interacting with inmates.
Chaotic plan for testing inmates
SCDC says it has a testing strategy that incorporates both Abbott Rapid Tests and conventional swab tests, but until early July the department was testing only symptomatic patients on an inconsistent basis.
In April, well after the rest of the country had begun experiencing the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, SCDC infection numbers remained low.
In an interview with the Greenville News, SCDC’s Stirling explains one possibility for why — SCDC was not regularly testing inmates.
“Some people are calling for every inmate to be tested, and that is a giant waste of resources," Stirling said. “Then that would affect the public supply. Testing is very limited."
SCDC says they are currently working in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and are experiencing some backlog of up to 10 days with the swab tests.
Though SCDC says they are retesting inmates after they recover, a risk of reinfection is still possible, particularly when delays in testing prevent facilities from isolating infected inmates quickly.
Stirling has indicated that he wishes they could provide more rapid tests, but that SCDC has a limited capacity, and the state health agency only gives them 50 rapid tests per day.
“If we could get the rapid tests for everyone, that would be awesome. We asked, they said they weren’t available,” he said.
When asked about why only 50 tests per day were given, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Emergency Response Team’s Joint Information Center, which oversees the state's coordinated COVID response, directed questions about testing back to SCDC.
Shortage of supplies, resources
Inmates, family and advocates said there have been significant shortages in food, cleaning supplies for their space and personal hygiene supplies since cases began rising in South Carolina prisons.
In particular, advocates like Bebeabu say though they are supposed to have access to both hand sanitizer and soap, they rarely have access to either.
“The inmates are only given these little bars — they look like the soap you get in a hotel, and are expected to use them for weeks,” Bebeabu said.
Many inmates and advocates also claim food portions have decreased significantly.
Courtesy of Theresa Bebeau
Cookies on the left.
Photos of meals during the month of June and July indicate that during some meals, inmates were fed as little as a single slice of what appears to be bologna, a spoonful of cabbage and two cookies.
SCDC officials deny that there have been any disruptions to the food supply chain, but added that during the pandemic, often the regular staff needed to provide meals was greatly reduced.
“There’s no supply chain issues, but it has been brought to my attention by the advocates about food quality issues — I brought it to the attention of the food service staff — I was not happy with what I saw,” Stirling said.
While issues of supplies being given to inmates remains at the front of advocates minds, family members like Tammy Standard believe they have a better solution to helping control the pandemic -- clemency.
“Some of these older guys, they really don’t need to be in there, they’re not really a threat to anyone, I think they can probably look at them to reduce the population,” Standard said.
Standard believes that inmates like Mark Trammell who are sick and dying, should be granted early release to help reduce the prison population.
Unlike many states however, whose constitutions allow governors to grant full clemency to inmates, South Carolina gives full discretion to the parole board to determine clemency.
“The governor does not have any ability — all he can do is commute a death sentence to a life sentence,” Stirling said. “In South Carolina, the executive branch is not as strong as other states, the legislature has the strength, and every governor has dealt with that, so it’s a legislative decision and a legislative action that would have to take place.”
All of this is true. I understand that these are criminals but what most people don’t see is that the families of these inmates get treated as if they are criminals as well. We are punished along with our family members and are treated with no respect as if we are criminals when we are not. The only crime that we have committed is loving our family member even though they may not be perfect but that is what families do. They try to say that they want the inmates to have visitors but they do everything they can to make you not want visit. We have to stand outside in the cold and rain and heat with no shelter for hours waiting to go inside to see our family member and they do not try to hurry up and get us in. It feels like they could care less about us standing in the cold and rain or heat. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such. SCDC really needs to restructure this system because it is really bad.
To Whom It May Concern or Anyone who gives a rats’ ass!!
It’s a terrible tragedy that the entire prison system in SC and elsewhere has not been reformed at all over the years!! It has increasingly gotten worse with heartbreaking stories from all walks of life in and out of the system!!
It’s kinda funny though how so many get moved on up the corrupt ladder of SCDC for next to nothing for a few extra dollars and they try to play GOD!!
Always remember though each and everyone’s actions with self serving,political or Kiss My Ass Brownie Points will eventually be judged by the Highest Authority of all kind and will have a special day in HELL!!
All I ask is for everyone who wishes to see their loves ones should have the opportunity whether in person or virtual and considering it may be no time soon or if ever there is a cure or vaccine or anything because always remember it could be you o
n the other side of the fence!! No One is Above Anyone no matter what the crime and I speak for Everyone!!
PLEASE ALLOW SOME TYPE OF VISITATION!!! Because there maybe no tomorrow and not only are you EFFECTING THE PRISON POPULATION!!
YOU ARE EFFECTING THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY!!!
THIS CAN CARRY FAR AND WIDE!!
My brother was brutally murdered and dismembered put in a tin barrel and throwed him a lake like trash to never be found. I think they should have gotten more time. My brother can’t stand in all kinds of weather to get to go in and they should get treated like that this is motel 6 My brother don’t get to see his family kids and grandkids
Great article. I agree. The system is corrupt.
Ridgeland correctional:
My brother is lock up at this prison. He said it’s a nightmare, not only do the inmates have to worry about getting suck with no medical attention but also have to worry about getting stabbed, raped or robbed by inmates. There is not enough staff to properly supervise the inmates so if something happens like some one getting jumped or stabbed they just lock them in the unit leave them there bleeding and injured. Then they do not give you anything to clean with. No bleach or soap to wipe out mop with. If the truth were to ever really get out this these inmates have to live there wild be law suits and charges file against those who run them.
IF THIS CONTINUES TO GO ON NO ONE DOES ANYTHING TO HELP OUR LOVE ONES ITS LET UP TO ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING HAPPENS AND SOON. MY FAMILY MEMEBERS ARE IN SCDC AND ITS SO MESSY. EVERY POST WAS RIGHT I EVEN WORK FOR THE STATE WITH AND I AM SO TERRIFIED ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY FAMILY MEMBERS NO STAFFING, NO REC, THE FOOD IS NASTY ETC, IVE EMAILED THE WARDENS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY DONT CARE BUT GETTING THEIR CHECKS TWICE A MONTH
Evan’s Correctional Institution is terrible as well. My son has been sick needs medical attention we have called nothing has taken place yet. They dont see doctors or talk to social workers, just sit behind there wasting away. If you are sick or need something old well. That’s not humane at all. Something needs to be done about the lack of we’re all human no respect for inmates.
Evan’s Correctional Institution is terrible as well. My son has been sick needs medical attention we have called nothing has taken place yet. They dont see doctors or talk to social workers, just sit behind there wasting away. If you are sick or need something old well. That’s not humane at all. Something needs to be done about the lack of we’re all human no respect for inmates.
Broad River—-My son has been so sick soaking the bed at night from sweating has been asking for a month and half for a test they won’t give it to him.He wakes up in the coughing up black stuff yellow stuff and has a hard time breathing.I have been on the phone with him 3different times when he ask to get one.Sent it in twice on the iPad thing to get a test and all three times he was told something different.He asl for Tylenol was told he had to get it off commissary they on lock down can’t go to commissary so he is just suffering.This place needs help from somebody they are killing theses guys and it seems no one is helping them.
I pray daily for all of our young men dealing with this corrupts system, I pray you and him make it
Can someone explain how the SCDC can punish us for sharing how awful it is inside?
I agree with these post!! I’m upset because they let my uncle die of COVID-19 with less than a year to be released!! Theses prison was negligence before COVID-19!!! Now You praying And taking action for my brother’s release!!! I’m asking for you all to go to change.org and sign his petition. Travis Smith Wrongful Sentence. Thank you. May God Bless you.
Some y’all sound crazy if these inmates wanted freedom they shouldn’t have committed their crime. Some of these inmates have taken lives raped sodomized babies children women PLEASE!!!
You sound stupid af, your keyword is SOME. Bitch I have a brother in scdc for murder, he killed someone protecting his wife a daughter while being robbed. Should he be in there? No! He was PROTECTING his family. You are stupid
Not all inmates belong in prison! Just like plenty of lawyers, judges, and prosecutors belong in prison because of their illegal activities done to citizens of America. Their lies, withholding evidence, denying constitutional rights, and jury tampering is why a lot of good people remain in prison!
Attend some trials and educate yourself. Hundreds of prisoners are incarcerated for so called violent crimes where, for example, they were acting in defense of themselves or others and were threatened with being subjected to a death sentence, or life imprisonment without parole if they refuse to plead guilty.
The system is corrupt, as are many Solicitors and many judges. Judges disallow accused persons to state the facts, prosecutors urge so called witnesses to lie, and the system is designed to “make as many people as possible convicted felons” so that they automatically are stripped of many constitutional rights and government benefits.
This is especially true in South Carolina, many people know it and they are more than tired of it.
People need to sit in at public trials and pat attention before they make such ignorant sstatements that people shouldn’t commit crimes if they don’t want to go to prison. A huge number have done nothing to deserve prison.
Many were also falsely accused or over sentenced for their crimes, and the ones you are talking about aren’t those who committed those types of crimes, a child molester gets less time than an armed robber on a 1st a offense. Yet and still people make mistakes and there are 2nd chances the unfortunate thing is the railroad built to trap the minorities corrupt corrupt, prison is business and they should be required to maintain certain human standards or they get no pay and shut down. God forgives all so watch how you judge because I’m sure you got flaws. The wrong move could land you in the same place would you want to be treated human and forgiven? You could be framed for something you didn’t do or make the wrong choice that could be a life changer. I feel like anyone can be rehabilitated outside of predators and serial killers and even God loves them!
I have a few love ones in SCDC. The treatment the inmate receives is beyond reprehensible. Changes need to be made starting with Sterling all the way down. I’m elated someone is shining the light on this agency.
Evan’s Correctional Institution is terrible as well. My son has been sick needs medical attention we have called nothing has taken place yet. They dont see doctors or talk to social workers, just sit behind there wasting away. If you are sick or need something old well. That’s not humane at all. Something needs to be done about the lack of we’re all human no respect for inmates.
My boyfriend is an inmate at Lee correctional center in south Carolina prison. He has the covid-19 and I haven’t heard from him for 3days now and I’m very worried about him.
I’m so glad to finally see an article about this. The miss treatment and neglect of inmates in SCDC presents has been a long going concern for the loved ones of these inmates. It has just gotten worse since COVID-19.
Sterling and those who work for him use smoke and mirrors to cover up just about everything that occurs within the prison system.
fear of retaliation is a real thing. My loved one and I have both experienced it. I personally know of others who have too.
Thank you so much for posting this article. Please continue to report the truth on what is going on within this agency.
I am so glad someone has address this issue we have love ones that’s back there sick and can’t get the medical attention they need it’s true that they have done wrong to be locked up but they are still human and they have family that loves them they are to be treated as if one who was free out here with COVID-19 I had COVID-19 and I am a health care worker a CNA I have seen how it can turn from ok to death within hours or days my Father whom is at Tyger River had this virus was beyond down I worried everyday thinking I was going to get a call of him passing away but he survived COVID-19 and I am sure it’s others who has lost love ones I am so unhappy to hear how they are treating our love ones be hide them bars yes it’s trouble and something needs to be done I understand the workers who work there feelings of why they are there dealing with the inmates who are sick they should think and stop what if that was them and they needed help and they had a deadly virus attack they body they would want and need help we are all human and no one deserves to get that phone call of there love one dead due to COVID-19 and a lack of help from the staff members there. And to the woman and men who works in the SCDC system who helps our love ones doing this trouble time with the COVID-19 Thank You So Much.
SCDC been like this before covid the people that work there don’t give two cents about you cause they get to go home every day and with this covid I know there far worst and they wonder why people be wanting parole as a alternative a person could have less then 6 months on they bid left go up for parole and approved to be let go but why you only have six months left cause they sick and tired of getting threatened by staff I was one of them inmates years ago I was threatened by a C/O and I told him if I ever run across you on the street you would run and do be it I ran across him at McDonald’s that fool left his food and got ghost moral of the story respect goes along way don’t think just cause I’m in prison we want cross paths god works in mysterious ways.
Well saide
Scdc is corrupt they not only dont feed these inmates they are having showers cleaning supplies and the only lil decency tbey have canteen being witheld these are our loved ones. They deserve de ent treatment idc if they are in prison
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