Died in prison
Benjamin Smalls
Benjamin Smalls, 72, was held at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York. He worked as steward of the prison's law library, where he helped many men with appeals, transfers and visitation disputes, and fellow men there called him the Elder Statesman. His daughter, Jhana DuPont, said he died of COVID-19 on May 4, 2020, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, after a three-week hospitalization. Reform activist Jose H. Saldaña said of him, "he really helped people."
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness. His daughter, Jhana DuPont, says he died of COVID-19 after a three-week hospitalization.
Reported by: daughter Jhana DuPont (family or their lawyers).