Dwayne Antoine Mitchell

Photograph of Dwayne, obtained from a petition on Change.org.

“They took away someone who was loved, needed and important.”

Dwayne Antoine Mitchell was born in New York to parents Joseph Mitchell and Robin Blocker on 10/2/1976. As the oldest of 7 children, Dwayne revelled in spending time with his family, running the streets of his Harlem neighborhood and playing various games of tag or basketball. Known for his quick wit, “G-Wayne,” as he was affectionately called, could make anyone’s day brighter with his big smile and distinct laughter.

Dwayne was being housed at the Federal Correctional Institution Yazoo City in Mississippi, which is a low security facility with approximately 1,670 other male residents. Not unlike many other institutions, the Yazoo City facility was also being overwhelmed by an increase in COVID cases at the time Dwayne contracted the virus. Press releases indicate that there were two other reported deaths in the Yazoo City facility prior to Dwayne's passing: deaths that likely occurred due to institutional conditions that were being exacerbated by a short supply of personal protective equipment, the residents’ inability to properly social distance, and the lack of safety precautions being utilized to staunch the spread of this deadly disease.

Photograph of Dwayne Mitchell, obtained from Ivette Blocker-Killibrew on Facebook.

Ivette Killebrew, Dwayne's sister, told The Yazoo Herald that in her last phone conversation with Dwayne, “He was complaining about shortness of breath and fatigue.” Although Dwayne was exhibiting obvious COVID-related symptoms, his plight was brushed off by Health Services staff as a “simple cold.” By the end of April 2020, Dwayne’s condition had deteriorated to a point where emergency medical intervention could no longer be prolonged. Upon admission to the hospital, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was immediately placed on a ventilator. His family would never have the opportunity to hear his voice again. Less than a month before he was to be released, Dwayne passed away unexpectedly on 6/4/2020 due to complications of COVID at the age of 43.

It was not until almost three weeks after Dwayne’s admission to the hospital that his family received word that he had been transported to a local hospital outside the facility for unspecified reasons. Although the family was to receive regular updates through the facility’s staff doctor, Ms. Killibrew indicated that her incessant calls to the prison and unit manager went unanswered for weeks. The next update the family received was 40 days later. This short, abrupt phone call gave notice of Dwayne's passing and demanded the immediate initiation of arrangements for Dwayne's body. His family would not learn what caused his death until eight days after his passing through an online press release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, leaving them to question: Why were the circumstances surrounding Dwayne's death kept secret from his loved ones but publicized just over a week later online?

Photograph of Dwayne, obtained from his obituary published by Patton Funeral Homes LLC.

Perhaps these answers were intentionally kept from Dwayne's family, as they now believe that their loved one died as a result of the facility’s failure to render proper treatment in a timely manner. Furthermore, it is their contention that but for the Yazoo City facility's disparity in treatment and negligence Dwayne would have soon been released to family and friends that were awaiting his homecoming. Homecoming plans that were upended in lieu of funeral arrangements.

The petition created in the wake of Dwayne’s death made the perfect summation with the phrase, “They took away someone who was loved, needed and important.” Dwayne's heart of gold, sly remarks and his funny sense of humor will live on in the hearts and minds of those who loved him. He was a loving and protective father to Markeyta Loverson, Dwayne Mitchell Jr., Ashia Michell, Quanelo Evans, and Wayde Lopez; the grandfather of Edward Jones, Dwayne Mitchell III, and Winter Loverson; and a brother, uncle, cousin, and friend to a host of others who now have a void in their lives because of his untimely passing.

This memorial was written by MOL team member Beth Muse with information from an obituary by Patton Funeral Homes LLC, a petition by Quality Johnson on Change.org, a press release by the Bureau of Prisons, and reporting by the Yazoo Herald. Transcribed by Eliza Kravitz.