From drug sentences to death sentences: documenting arbitrary and capricious drug war casualties

Many millions, perhaps tens of millions of persons, in the United States are involved in some federally illegal drug activity.  But only select few, roughly 20,000 per year, are subject to federal prosecution and sentencing.  The tiny percentage of drug offenders subject to federal prosecution are not quite randomly selected, but exactly who and how offenders are brought into the federal system often seems to have more to do with federal prosecutorial priorities than with offending behaviors.  (This US Sentencing Commission document shows that federal cocaine and meth cases were still more commonly sentenced than opioid cases through the height of the opioid epidemic.   Notably, those selected for federal prosecution are disproportionate persons of color: in Fiscal Year 2019, as in most prior years, only about one quarter of persons prosecuted for federal drug crimes are white.)

For those sentenced to federal prison, the vicissitudes of federal drug prosecution are now combined with the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainties of just who will get sick from the virus.  Sadly, for more than a few, the result has been an untimely death.  Of course, every unnecessary death by illness for an incarcerated person is a tragic event; but the recent death of the first female federal inmate (discussed here) struck me as an especially arbitrary and capricious drug war casualty.  And it inspired me to go though the BOP press releases about COVID inmate deaths to see how many involve drug offenders. Here is what I found (with quote about offense drawn from BOP press release):

Patrick Jones (died March 28: "49 year-old male who was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to a 324- month sentence for Possession with Intent to Distribute 425.1 grams of crack cocaine within 1000 ft. of a junior college") 

Nicholas Rodriguez (died April 1: "43 year-old male who was sentenced in the Northern District of California to a 188-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine")

Woodrow Taylor (died April 2: "53 year-old male serving a 60 month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine")

David Townsend (died April 2: "66 year-old male who was sentenced in the Northern District of Georgia to a 240-month sentence for Possession With Intent to Distribute at least 100 kg. of Marijuana, at least 500 gm. of Methamphetamine Mixture, and at least 5 gm. of Methamphetamine Actual")

Margarito Garcia-Fragoso (died April 2: "65 year-old male serving 126 month sentence for Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime")

Gary Edward Nixon (died April 12: "57 year-old male who was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to a 155-month Supervised Release Violation Term with new criminal conduct of Conspiracy to Distribute With Intent to Distribute More Than 5 Grams of Cocaine Base (Crack). The original offense conduct was Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin and Possession With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Heroin")

Alvin Turner (died April 13: "43 year-old male sentenced in the Eastern District of Michigan to a 180 month term for Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine")

Michael Fleming (died April 19: "59 year-old male who was sentenced in the District of Wyoming to a 240-month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute
Methamphetamine")

Arnoldo Almeida (died April 22: "a 61 year-old male who was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to a 188-month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine")

Oscar Ortiz (died April 24: "78 year-old male who was sentenced in the District of Idaho to a 324-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and/or Marijuana, Drug
Possession/Distribution, and Misprison of a Felony")

Donnie Grabener (died April 25: "65 year-old male who was sentenced in the District of Louisiana to a 120-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm")

Andrea Circle Bear (died April 28: "30 year-old female who was sentenced in the District of South Dakota to a 26-month sentence for Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises")

William Walker Minto (died April 28: "73 year-old male who was sentenced in the Eastern District of Tennessee to a 240-month term for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 1,000 Kilograms or More of Marijuana")