U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
August 7, 2020 202-514-6551
bop.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, July 24, 2020, inmate Eugene Griffin was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of tachycardia and hypoxia. While there he tested positive for COVID-19. He released from the hospital on Sunday, July 26, 2020, and was placed in a designated isolation unit at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Atlanta, in Atlanta, Georgia. On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, he returned to the local hospital and was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. On Thursday, August 6, 2020, Mr. Griffin was placed on comfort care in inpatient hospice. On Friday, August 7, 2020, Mr. Griffin, who had pre-existing medical conditions, which the CDC lists as risk factors for developing more severe COVID-19 disease, was pronounced dead by hospital staff.
Mr. Griffin was an 80-year-old male who was sentenced in the Northern District of Georgia to a life sentence for Possession of a Firearm and Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute by a Convicted Felon. He had been in custody at USP Atlanta since April 1998.
USP Atlanta is a medium security facility that currently houses approximately 1600 male offenders.
The Bureau of Prisons will continue to provide daily updates and information on actions related
to COVID-19 at www.bop.gov/coronavirus/index.jsp.
Additional information about the Bureau of Prisons can be found at www.bop.gov.