Murdered by the state.

By Angelina Chapin

The Cut

A month ago, Andrea Circle Bear gave birth while on a ventilator after catching the coronavirus behind bars. On Tuesday, the 30-year-old died, making her the first woman in federal prison to be killed by COVID-19, according to press releases on the Bureau of Prisons’ website.

“When the COVID outbreak happened, she should have been released,” said Jessica Brand, the founder of a social-justice consulting firm, the Wren Collective, and a former public defender. “She was high-risk, and she was pregnant. But instead, they transferred her from jail to prison. It’s a totally avoidable tragedy.”

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