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incarceration
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2021-02-14
My Story: I Got COVID-19 Because of ICE
I am sending a diary style writing where I share my experience during the pandemic. I focus on the issue of ICE during the pandemic. Before the lockdowns, my uncle was detained by ICE and was deported during the pandemic. My uncle has been living in the US for 25+ years and Mexico, my uncle's home country, has changed a lot since he last lived there. For that reason, I went to Mexico to take him home. This made me get COVID. -
2021-02-05
Reducing Jail Sentences for Inmates with Preexisting Health Conditions
The study conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice (BCJ) found that prisons, jails, and detention facilities are rushing to make an effort to release unnecessarily incarcerated people to improve healthcare and conditions of confinement for the remaining inmate population. As part of a larger project to end mass incarceration, the BCJ analyzed the unique health challenges posed by the inmate population both 65 and older, as well as those with preexisting medical conditions. "Brennan Center Recommendation: Elderly and sick people and those incarcerated for parole violations should be released or recommended for release under compassionate release provisions or another authority. Barring that, prison officials should use their discretion to transfer people to community corrections options." -
2020-12-04
Mass Incarceration & COVID-19
It is important to know that even during a pandemic mass incarceration is still going on. -
2020-10-05
The Pandemic in Prisons: Covid-19, Repression, and the Carceral State
This podcast episode is from the Revolutionary Left Radio podcast featuring show host Breht and guests. -
2020-07-23
Snap Judgment podcast episode on covid-19 in San Quentin state prison (CA)
Podcast episode produced by Snap Judgment in which they look at covid-19 outbreaks in San Quentin prison -
2020-10-11
California kept prison factories open. Inmates worked for pennies an hour as COVID-19 spread
The state is responsible for the spread of covid19 from the neighboring men’s institution to the women’s institution, leading to death. -
2020-10-24
COVID-19 cases increase at California Institution for Men
This is an article about a state prison in Chino, California. The state could be responsible for the increase in covid19 cases in the Institution. -
2020-10-05
Why Prisoners Aren’t Reporting Feeling Sick
Prisons and jails were not planned or constructed with thoughts of weathering a pandemic, not was the system of incarceration. For these reasons, and our cultures current view of incarcerated people as less than human, many are suffering in silence. This article explains why incarcerated people are choosing not to tell anyone if they experience symptoms that might be from COVID-19. -
2020-09-20
Tweets from Inside a Prison 09/20-09/26/2020 by Railroad Underground
These images show the Tweets of an incarcerated person utilizing a contraband cell phone to let the outside world know about prison conditions during the pandemic. This week he talks about mind, body, soul, freedom, effort to locate contraband cell phones, lack of compassion, support, Breonna Taylor, the rule against shaking a free persons hand, using the word inmate removes humanity, prisons acting as a herd immunity experiment, journalists profiting from the pain of incarceration, and rock bottom. -
2020-09-06
Tweets from Inside a Prison 09/06-09/12/2020 by Railroad Underground
These images show the Tweets of an incarcerated person utilizing a contraband cell phone to let the outside world know about prison conditions during the pandemic. This week he talks about how Sunday's are the hardest for him because he missed spending time with his family, spending Labor Day in a melting cage, is he in a California or west coast prison where they are experiencing raging wild fires or is it just hot there, convict leasing is still happening, including many of the firefighters used to battle the wildfires in California, those in county jails learning sign language to be able to communicate from their cells because they spent little time outside their cells, the lack of vegetables in prison made them plant "secret gardens" both inside and out, rehabilitation in spite of toxic conditions, mentorship, his many family members that are/were incarcerated and how incarceration tears apart families. -
2020-10-04
Half of Folsom Prison Inmates Have Covid
Nursing homes and prisons provide the perfect breading ground for coronavirus. For this reason the nation's correctional facilities have been hard hit by the virus. This Tweet, by James King, a formerly incarcerated man, draws attention to the continued spread of the virus within Folsom Prison in California. The news story King links to in his Tweet contains a video of Governor Gavin Newsom explaining the measures already taken to mediate the spread of the virus and upcoming plans. In the video Newsom mentions several things that alarmed me. 1. Numerous individuals with active Covid infections were released from California correctional facilities. Was this a wise decision? Or was it the smart decision that shows compassion for the individual. Prison is no place to suffer through a horrible illness. 2. When talking about releasing people from correctional facilities early he stresses these were individuals who are "non, non, non, non sex offenders". This sounds like they are only considering releasing those convicted of non-violent crimes, but isn't there a chance someone who has spent 20+ years in prison been reformed? Isn't that the point of incarceration, to reform the person? 3. There are individuals that meet the criteria laid out for early release but they have no where to go or no plan. In speaking with criminal justice reform advocates in California personally I was told there are numerous non-profit organizations ready to assist anyone that is released early. -
2020-08-24
ACLU of New Mexico Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against the State of New Mexico
The ACLU of New Mexico joined forces with both local and international law firms to file a class-action lawsuit against the state of New Mexico. The lawsuit states that the state of New Mexico has failed to protect the lives and constitutional rights of people held in the correctional system. HST580, ASU, New Mexico Narratives, New Mexico, lawsuit, constitutional right, correctional system, ACLU, incarceration, loss, death, safe practice -
2020-07-17
‘They’re scared’: A look inside the COVID-19 crisis in Arizona prisons
As COVID-19 began to spread across the Southwest in March, lawyers representing incarcerated Arizonans reported “unsanitary conditions,” “inadequate medical staffing and treatment” and a “failure to take strong and sensible precautionary measures” in state prisons. The combination left prisoners “highly vulnerable to outbreaks,” the attorneys wrote in a letter to the state before asking a federal judge to intervene. The judge did by issuing an order for officials to release more information, but prison advocates say it hasn’t been enough. Nearly four months later, complaints of insufficient safety measures and subpar medical care continue to plague Arizona prisons. At least 569 prisoners at 13 of the state’s 16 prison complexes had tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 15, according to the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, and at least 371 staffers have reported positive results. Justice reform advocates and others with ties to the correctional system worry the state is running out of time to prevent an even more dangerous surge in cases. COVID-19 can spread swiftly in crowded indoor spaces and among individuals with chronic health problems. -
2020-10-01
Prisons Are Mostly Closed to Journalist During Covid
As this Tweet from journalist, Sara Tardiff, explains prisons are closed as a precaution to slowing the spread of Covid-19. This means one of our only windows into what is actually happening behind bars is coming from incarcerated persons using contraband cell phones. -
2020-10-01
The COVID Pandemic and economic greed
I wanted to share a bit about my life during COVID. My brother is currently incarcerated, and I would travel at least once a month to visit him. Once COVID hit, visitations were canceled, and my family was forced to rely on phone calls or snail mail. My brother would call us about once a week for his own sanity and ours as well. Several things have happened these past few months, which made our situation as a family more complicated. A phone call to my brother used to cost him (or us) 40 cents a minute. When COVID hit the private company used by the prison to facilitate calls, decided to take advantage of our reliance on phone calls and upcharge their prices. Phone calls now cost over a dollar a minute. Thankfully my family does ok and phone calls are not something we are willing to let go of, but I feel for families who have to choose between food, bills or funding their calling account. I know it sounds like an extreme situation, but there are families that have lost all contact with their loved ones who are incarcerated because of COVID, and these companies are taking advantage of the pandemic. Were now paying almost twenty dollars for every ten minute conversation, trust me it adds up real quick. The worst part is that these companies have contracts with the prisons, and we (the families on the outside) have no choice or say as far as what company we are able to go through to talk to those incarcerated. As if COVID and social distancing weren't enough, I'm now missing and worrying about my brother more than usual. -
2020-09-11
Prisons and Jails Are Rolling Back Free Phone Calls
When Covid-19 hit the US many things shutdown including the nation's prisons. Of course they kept taking in people for incarceration but they no longer allowed visitors. This made connection to the outside world through phone calls even more important. What many people don't know is that each phone call an incarcerated person makes costs money, a lot of money. In the beginning of the pandemic many jails and prisons offered free phone calls, in the case they were even allowing phone calls (that's another story) but as the pandemic has continued for nearly eight months phone calls are no longer free or reduced cost. This is an undue burden on a population that is facing high unemployment. -
2020-07-07
Surge of Coronavirus Cases Among Inmates
By Katelyn Keenhan/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship -
2020-09-08
Disconnect from our Core Values
This assignment is part of the American Studies classes at California High School in San Ramon, California. -
2020-08-10
Defacto Death Sentence
This Tweet shows that 22% of those that have died of Covid in Florida correctional facilities were eligible for parole. Early release for people convicted of nonviolent crimes has been a topic of discussion since the virus first struck the US back in March. The theory is releasing some people early will help make it possible for those still incarcerated to be able to social distance. Others point to the fact that incarceration and covid should not lead to a defacto death sentence. -
2020-08-10
San Francisco Announces All Phone Calls From County Jails Are Now Free
San Francisco has stepped out to lead the nation in criminal justice reform by cutting the cost of phone calls and commissary items from its jails. They cite the change as especially necessary during the Covid pandemic. -
2020-08-11
We Have to Reduce the Number of People In Prisons to Slow the Spread of Covid
James King, formerly incarcerated and now a criminal justice activist, speaks out about the need to reduce the prison population to slow the spread of covid. He also explains the conditions at San Quentin Prison in California and in the replies to his Tweet explains and quotes the recidivism rates for prisoners. -
2020-08-11
14 of the Largest Outbreaks are in Prisons and Jails
Covid-19 is particularly dangerous in populations that are enclosed and unable to social distance such as nursing homes and correctional facilities. This Tweet explains that 14 of the largest outbreaks across the US are in the prisons and jails. The writer of the Tweet, James King, asks why the California Governor, Gavin Newsom, is closing bars and beaches while not doing more in the correctional facilities since 6 of the 14 largest outbreaks are in California. -
2020-08-11
San Quentin Still at 100% Capacity
Covid-19 has been eye opening and really illustrated many of the problems we as a society have done a good job ignoring. One of the things society has long ignored is overcrowding in prisons and jails in the US. We've also learned that any enclosed population without the ability to social distance is a risk for having a major Covid-19 outbreak. Together, overcrowding and the inability to social distance, has made for a bleak outlook in the nation's correctional facilities. This Tweet shows that even this far in to the pandemic and the outbreak at San Quentin the prison is still over capacity. -
2020-08-10
Correctional Sergeant Dies from Covid Complications
This Tweet expresses the lack of concern for the incarcerated people dying from Covid 19. California Governor Gavin Newsom expresses his sympathy for the family and friends of one of the correctional facility staff who recently passed from complications due to Covid-19 but he does not mention the many people incarcerated in these facilities who have also died from Covid-19. -
2020-08-07
6 million masks in. 50,000 people out.
This Tweet from REFORM Alliance explains they have gotten six million masks into correctional facilities across the nation by using the 10 million dollar donation from Twitter's CEO, Jack Dorsey. And 50,000 people have been released. The accompanying video explains that if the nations 2.4 million incarcerated people become ill and go to outside hospitals there will be no hospital space for anyone else. If that isn't enough to make you care they pose the question, do any incarcerated people deserve a defacto death sentence? -
2020-08-05
My Friend Died in San Quentin Due to Covid-19. His Death Was Entirely Preventable.
Written by Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated person and criminal justice reform advocate, this article explains the death of his friend from Covid and how it was preventable. -
2020-07-17
Getting Out Of Prison Sooner
This NPR Planet Money podcasts discusses extremely long sentences, early release due to change in laws, particularly in Oklahoma, the cost of incarceration, and criminal justice reform from the ideal of physical conservatism. Plus a brief mention of early release due to the pandemic. -
2020-07-27
Protesters chained to governor's home as prison deaths mount
In an effort to urge the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, to release people incarcerated at the state's prisons and jails, and stop immigration transfers, protestors chained themselves to the fence outside the governors home. The fourteen protestors were wearing surgical masks and face shields to protect from the spread of the coronavirus. The protest was organized by the California Liberation Collective. The fourteen protestors that chained themselves to the fence were accompanied by many others calling for action in light of the continued death toll the virus is having on incarcerated populations, particularly at San Quentin Prison. -
07/24/2020
Philip Melendez Oral History, 2020/07/24
Philip Melendez was born and raised in Sacramento, California. His interactions with the police began in high school. He later committed a crime and served almost twenty years in prison. He was released from prison a few years ago and now works for Restore Justice, a California based non-profit, focused on criminal justice reform. Now married, with three grown children, he discusses his thoughts on the criminal justice system, reform, and the impact of COVID-19 on the incarcerated population within the United States, specifically California. (Note there is about two minutes of empty recording at the beginning of the Mp4 file.) -
2020-04-01
What Restorative Justice Can Teach Us About COVID-19 – And Ourselves.
This article is authored by a woman whose sister was murdered. She now works with a nonprofit called Restore Justice, based in California, whose goal is to positively effect change to all who are touched by violent crime. She reminds the reader that people can change and discusses how the large prison population can effect the population at large and those inside. -
2020-03-28
My Experience with Sickness, Quarantines and the Prison’s Healthcare System
The author of this article is a former inmate at San Quentin Prison in California. These days he focuses on justice reform through an organization he helped bring into being, Restore Justice. In this article he explains the medical system inside of prisons and his experience with lockdowns and solitary confinement as a place of quarantine during non-covid times. -
2020-07-16
Covid shuffle in corrections facilities
These images show the Tweet of Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated person and activist. Adnan explains that corrections facilities are moving people all over the prison and between facilities. The result is spread of the corona virus when the officials are charged with slowing the spread. -
2020-07-12
California Releases Prisoners over Coronavirus Concerns
California is traditionally understood to be a fairly liberal state, but there is an exceptionally vocal conservative minority that exists in the state. Since the coronavirus began, there has been a similar culture war around many of the issues that are reflected in other parts of the country; in many instances, people blame the governor directly for everything that is going wrong. This item was added TAGS v6.1.9.1. I originally searched under the hashtag #california. Within that search, I have chosen to add the following tweet because it highlights a popular conservative voice in the state that is sharing their opinions on best responses to the virus. -
2020-07-01
‘They’re scared’: A look inside the COVID-19 crisis in Arizona prisons.
By Katelyn Keenehan | Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship -
2020-06-29
Pretrial Policies Drive Jail Growth
This Twitter screenshot of a graph illustrating the number of people in the nations jails waiting for trial far outweighs the number of people who have been convicted of a crime. The covid crisis has exposed the make up of the jail population and has also brought to light the reason so many people are awaiting trial in jail. They are awaiting trial in jail, more often than not, because they cannot afford to pay bail to be released. While the pandemic, like all disasters, effects people of color and low income disproportionately, it has also shed a light on the inequity of the bail system and caused people to wonder if those in the nation's jails and prisons deserve to risk dying from the virus. -
2020-06-27
Massive COVID-19 outbreak at a southern NM prison hits just one type of inmates — sex offenders. That’s by design.
While the headline on this article seems extremely alarming it is less so after reading the article but still concerning. This prison offers a sexual predator rehab program and explains why only sex offenders are being housed here. Except that there were still a small number of prisoners that were serving time for other offenses and these people were transferred to other facilities. At this point 80% of the prison inmates have tested positive for Covid-19. While small numbers of inmates have been released early from prison to aid in slowing the spread of covid within the correctional facilities no one from this prison has been released early because sex offenders are specifically exempt from the option for early release due to the public safety risk they pose. -
2020-06-14
Column: Hawaii’s early inmate release a health success
Corrections facilities across the nation has considered releasing inmates early to slow the spread of the corona virus. While the public has had mixed feelings about this idea Hawaii has been successful in creating a process to examine and individually decide on early release for its inmates. The mainland US has had numerous outbreaks inside of its prisons and jails and Hawaii was trying to prevent this. As the article explains, early release is not only beneficial to the inmates and employees but also to the larger community. It also touches on the impact systemic racism has had on creating the largest prison population in the world. -
2020-03-26
The push to release more inmates from L.A. County jails due to coronavirus
Early release of people incarcerated in the nation's corrections facilities has been considered everywhere to slow the spread of the corona virus. This article goes into detail explaining who is eligible, the public health vs. public safety concerns, how inmates are notified, and more in regards to early release from Los Angeles County Jails System, the largest in the country. -
2020-06-12
NYPD Brass: We're Arresting Too Many Prisoners on Early COVID Release
The architecture, system, and overcrowding in America's prisons make the spread of Covid-19 very quick inside the nations corrections facilities. To help slow the spread of the disease inside these facilities some jurisdictions have released inmates early. Most early release candidates are those that do not present a public safety risk, have served the majority of their sentence, are elderly, or immunocompromised. While some people support this plan others oppose. This article illustrates the concerns of the plans opponents. Of the 2500 people released from Rikers Island, a jail in New York, the NYPD says they have rearrested 250 individuals, for total arrests of 450. -
2020-06-20
Calls For Early Prisoner Release Amplified By San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak
Florida, Texas, California, and several other states are experiencing their highest number of new covid-19 cases since the pandemic began spreading through the United States. This has caused prison reformers, activists, and inmates families to protest and call for the early release of those who have nearly served their sentence and inmates who are elderly or immuno compromised. The article covers the protest that was held outside of San Quentin in San Francisco. -
2020-06-18
Calls for Early Release in Florida Jails as COVID-19 Cases Grow
Activists and prison reformers have been calling for inmates that do not pose a public safety risk and have either served most of their sentence, are elderly, or who are at high risk for covid complications due to pre-existing conditions to be released early. Advocates believe this not only helps the prisoners from contracting or even dying from covid but it also protects the larger community. While many jurisdictions/states have released inmates early Florida's governor has thus far refused. -
2020-06-16
Some inmates at California state prisons eligible for early release to stem coronavirus spread
In an effort to slow the spread of covid-19 in prisons and jails across the country some inmates are being released early. The public has had mixed reactions to this plan. Some support the measure because they don't want inmates sentences to turn into a death sentence from the virus and others are concerned the inmates released early are potentially harmful to public safety. California has already released inmates early and plans to release more on July 1st. This article goes over some of the details. -
2020-04-28
7 Sex Offenders Released Early Due to COVID-19 in Orange County Despite Parole Violations
In an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 inside the nation's correctional facilities a small percentage of inmates have been released early or have been released to house arrest. The thought behind this action is to lessen the number of people inside the facilities allowing more space for social distancing and/or to not expose inmates to a possible death sentence if they were to contract covid and not recover. Though officials have promised not to free any inmate that poses a public safety risk stories like this one appear all over the country. This article states that seven sex offenders, who had served their original sentences but had returned to jail for parole violations, were released early from the Orange County Jail in California. The article was edited a day later to include a statement from the sheriff stating these individuals were not release early but were released by court order. -
2020-06-21
A Father's Sorrow
Father, Scott Heshinger, expresses his fear of his son dying in prison from covid-19 in a video he posted on Twitter. He brings to light the conversation that is happening among many. The question becomes is it fair or even humane for someone who has been sentenced to spend time in prison end up dying from covid-19? Some have suggested releasing inmates early or moving them from correctional facilities to house arrest. While others argue this puts public safety in jeopardy. -
2020-06-20
Coronavirus cases at San Quentin soar to 190; ‘they’re calling man down every 20 or 30 minutes’
A group of prisoners from Chino were recently transferred to San Quentin because of a COVID-19 outbreak. These prisoners were housed in a separate, yet connected, area from the residing San Quentin incarcerated population. San Quentin prisoners reported daily COVID-19 testing since the group arrived. 159 prisoners at San Quentin have now tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers are expected to continue to climb. Fear, anxiety, frustration and anger are running rampant as San Quentin attempts to contain the spread of the virus. -
2020-06-17
California prisons to release up to 3,500 more inmates to prevent further spread of COVID-19
California is planning to release more corrections inmates early on July 1st in an effort to slow the spread of the corona virus. While this is a step in the right direction advocates point out that this group of inmates does not include those with disabilities, medically fragile, or preexisting conditions. The article also highlights how the virus is spreading from on facility to another through prisoner transfer. While transferring prisoners to facilities with lower populations sounds good to aid in social distancing the people being transferred are actually spreading the virus into new facilities. -
2020-06-22
John Oliver on prisons during Covid-19: 'That's not justice, that's neglect'
Late night host, John Oliver, of HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," recently dedicated the main portion of his thirty minute show to highlighting the struggle of America's inmates with the covid-19 pandemic. This article provides the highlights of the show including a lack of soap, the number of non-inmate personal who are ill, covid being introduced to new facilities through prison transfer, people who have yet to be convicted but stuck in jail because they cannot afford cash bail, and the use of solitary confinement as punishment for one inmate who shared a video on Facebook. -
2020-06-18
The Prison Was Built to Hold 1,500 Inmates. It Had Over 2,000 Coronavirus Cases.
The US prison population quickly found it was impossible to social distance to protect themselves from contracting the corona virus. This is due to prison architecture and overcrowding. This article talks to inmates at the Marion Correctional Facility in Marion, Ohio. This facility has been the site of the largest virus outbreak in the nation. -
2020-06-16
HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 39
pandemic and racial related entries -
2020-06-16
Israeli dies of COVID-19 in Peru prison where he was held for drug trafficking
This prison looks like a terrible place to serve a sentence, and even worse during a pandemic. The article discusses an Israeli inmate who died from Coronavirus while imprisoned in Lima, Peru. Sure, he was in jail for 20 years for trafficking cocaine, but it raises larger issues about the dire inequities and lack of funding present in Peruvian jails. Allegedly the woman, Hodaya Monsonego was mentally impaired, suggesting that perhaps she should have been repatriated to her family.