Michigan Prisons Relax Mask Mandate

 In what has generated a giant sigh of relief among both prisoners and staff, the Michigan Department of Corrections has this past week relaxed its mask mandate. Prisoners and staff are still urged to wear their masks at all times, but they are no longer required to. 

The new rules released by Lansing have continued the mask mandate for prisoners and their visitors in the visiting rooms, and for prisoners during medical appointments. Additionally, prisoners are required to wear their masks during transportation when transfered to other prisons or to outside medical appointments. 

After two years of being required to wear masks, at least half of which included while outdoors, prisoners are relieved to finally free their faces of their cloth fetters. The day of our faces' release, up and down the hallways in the housing units prisoners were heard joking, "Oh! That's what you look like!" and "What a nice smile! I didn't know you smiled!" 

After two years of Covid restrictions, and incessant mask-wearing, we could use a little something to smile about. At least now we can see the delight (and relief) on each other's faces.