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prison
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2020-07-11
Questions on California Coronavirus Standards
When the coronavirus first hit California, there was immediate public discussion about what should be done about one of the potentially most at-risk populations: prisoners. Although there was an initial outpouring of sympathy around less-minor releases, the cries of law and order quickly went out, accompanied by the calls that civilization was about to end. How we keep these, and other at risk populations, safe is still a question that is up in the air. 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 branches off on one of the arguments against wearing masks: their efficacy. -
2020-06
Tweets from Inside a Prison 6/28-7/4/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images show the Tweets from an incarcerated person who began this Twitter account on a contraband cellphone, to show the world what it is like inside the nation's correctional facilities during the covid pandemic. This week he is talking about many people around him being sick, testing negative himself and then a few days later showing symptoms, 20 "man down" calls a day, which is a way someone needs immediate medical attention, it appears they are housing some inmates in tents in the yard to help with social distancing, genocide, calls on California Governor Gavin Newsom several times, talks about the vulnerable, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, disabled, feeling like they have a knee on their necks because of covid, and San Quentin. -
2020-06
Tweets from Inside a Prison 6/14-6/20/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images show the Tweets of a prison inmate who chose to use a contraband cell phone to show the public what is happening inside of the nation's prisons during the coronavirus pandemic. This week he discusses defunding prisons, the ongoing brutality inside prisons, San Quentin, outbreaks from transfers, Juneteenth, taking action not just paying lip service to the holiday, black communities, and early release beginning with the elderly and others most at risk. -
2020-06
Tweets from Inside a Prison 6/7-6/13/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images show the Tweets of a prison inmate using a contraband cell phone to let the public know what it is like inside the nations prisons during the coronavirus pandemic. This week he talks about the "racist violent system", George Floyd, wishes the momentum for change in policing and Black Lives Matter isn't lost, encouraging voting, #ClemancyNow, San Quentin in San Francisco, and being put in the hole after a prison guard handcuffed and kicked him in the face repeatedly. -
2020-05
Tweets from Inside a Prison 5/24-5/30/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images show the tweets of an incarcerated person who is posting them by using a contraband cell phone to show the outside world how coronavirus is effecting their community inside the prison. This week he reacts to the murder of George Floyd by the police, asks us to imagine how badly people incarcerated are treated where there are no cameras if a man can be killed on camera, that the prison population is getting some satisfaction watching the public reaction to George's murder, notes that he saw (on tv presumably) a police office pull down the mask of a black man to pepper spray him, targeting, and discrimination. -
2020-05
Tweets from Inside a Prison 5/17-5/23/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images follow the Tweets of an incarcerated person using a contraband cell phone to educate the public on how coronavirus is impacting people inside of corrections facilities. This week he talks about missing his baby brothers graduation, inmates feeling panic about eighty prisoners being transferred in and their worry they could bring covid with them, the tension and fights breaking out, being in a human cage, and the prison administration. -
2020-05
Tweets from Inside a Prison 5/10-5/16/2020 by Railroaded 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 mother's are the ones that never give up, Mother's Day, justice, socioeconomic factors that lead to prison, death, politicians, voting, lethal injection, and the words of a six year old child. -
2020-05
Tweets from Inside a Prison 5/3-5/9/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images are of the Twitter feed of an incarcerated person using a contraband cellphone to tell the world what is happening inside the prison during the covid pandemic. This week they discuss guards still not wearing masks but inmates are required to, retweeted about #dreamers and #carenotcages, the public beginning to recognize the humanity inside of prisons, empowerment, #clemancynow, the state of California disallowing inmate grievances to be filed, stagnation of the movement to release inmates early to slow the spread, and the fight for their rights. -
2020-04
Tweets from Inside a Prison 4/26-5/2/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images follow the Tweets on an incarcerated person who is sharing what it is like to be incarcerated during the covid pandemic. In the Tweets they mention the inmates discussing their obituaries, that a Vietnam veteran went "man down" which I believe means he has covid, and they retweeted a call for people to help a woman who is now in ICE detention after fleeing her abusive husband. -
2020-04
Tweets from Inside a Prison 4/19-4/25/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images follow the Tweets of an incarcerated person from April 19th through April 25th, 2020. In them they discuss their feelings of anger and depression, worries about mental health from being in lockdown 23 hours per day, overcrowding, begins defenseless, politics, elections, self medicating, like others on prison wine called "pruno", how they are not supposed to wear masks at all times but the guards are not, and that though it was declared by prison authorities would not transfer inmates due to concerns over spreading covid that has not been the reality. -
2020-04
Tweets from Inside a Prison 4/12-4/18/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These tweets are from an incarcerated person using a contraband cell phone to let the world know about the conditions inside the prison. This week he is talking about choosing between a shower and exposure because their showers are communal with over fifty people. He also mentions the prison employee that brought him his meals and lead him around has tested positive and that the first inmate is positive and has been sent to solitary confinement for quarantine. He mentions a lack of soap, receiving fruit snacks with his lunch because they contain vitamin C, injustice, #clemancynow, and inmates at other facilities being retaliated against for speaking out. -
2020-04-30
Death Row
This political cartoon is a commentary on the rates of corona virus in the prisons. Every aspect of the prison system now seems like death row. -
2020-06-28
Signs Displayed by Inmates at the Bradley County Jail
This is a Twitter post (social media) illustrating the plight of incarcerated person in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic. -
2020-06-28
Protest Supporting San Quentin Early Release
This is a Twitter post (social media) and the responses it received about a protest urging California governor Gavin Newsom to give early release to inmates to protect them from contracting covid-19. Here is a link to an article referenced in the thread https://www.orlandomedicalnews.com/article/3545/letter-to-the-editor-why-increasing-number-of-cases-of-covid-19-is-not-bad-news -
2020-06-21
Incarcerated person dies while waiting for healthcare
This is a Twitter post (social media) from an incarcerated person using a contraband cell phone telling about their experience with covid-19. He saw a father die on Father's Day while struggling to breath and waiting for an ambulance. There are numerous news articles exposing similar stories. They say sources tell them inmates are not receiving medical attention either before or after being tested for covid-19. -
2020-06-28
Is the governor of California committing genocide by transfering inmates?
This is a Twitter post (social media) from a prison reform advocate. In the post he poses the question is the governor of California, Gavin Newsome, committing genocide by transferring inmates from a correctional facility with known covid cases to facilities that have no cases. The Tweet and responses show people's feelings on the subject. -
2020-06-22
Judge Cries Over Coronavirus Outbreak in Prisons
This is a Twitter (social media) post discussing the large outbreaks of covid-19 within U.S. correctional facilities. The Tweet and responses reference a news article and online petition also linked to this. -
2020-06-27
Did Inmates Transfered from San Quentin Spread Covid-19?
These images show a Twitter social media post and the replies it received surrounding the transfer of inmates from San Quentin to other facilities introduced the virus to the other facilities. The author of the Tweet also references an article from the Sacramento Bee entitled "Major COVID-19 outbreak at rural California prison. Officials blame state for inmate transfer" Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article243822702.html#storylink=cpy -
2020-06-22
Covid Continues to Take the Lives of People Who Are Incarcerated
This is a Twitter post and replies discussing the risk of people in U.S. prisons and jails of dying from Covid-19. The main argument is whether incarcerated people should be released early or placed on house arrest so they can effectively prevent themselves from being exposed to covid-19 or does this present a public safety risk. -
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. -
2020-06-14
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. -
2020-06-15
Gov. Brown asks for release of some prison inmates to slow virus spread
One of the hardest hit populations with regards to covid-19 are corrections facilities. In an effort to slow the spread in the nations overcrowded facilities government officials have released some inmates early. The public has had mixed reactions to this policy. While the government officials are not releasing inmates that pose a danger to the public people are still worried. This article covers the story in Oregon and the comments add to the conversation. -
2020-06-13
California’s Racial Justice Crisis is COVID-19 in Prisons
This article, written by three University of California professors, highlights the racial justice crisis inside US prisons. Due to their architecture and systems corrections facilities find it nearly impossible to keep covid-19 out or slow the spread of the disease. In California the incarcerated populations rate of covid is 650 percent higher than that of the general population of the state. Once introduced into a facility covid spreads rapidly due to overcrowding, lack of ability to social distance, and a shortage of soap and other cleaning supplies. While many people in the general public feel that inmates chose to commit a crime and therefor should do their time others argue that they should not be made to die for their crimes due to covid. -
2020-06-22
VICE News: Inmates Dying of Covid
As inmates across the US die, many families are not sure if they have died from covid-19 because inmates are not being tested and finding out after the inmate passes requires families to pay out of pocket for an autopsy. This video follows families in New Jersey, a state whose prison population has been hit hard by covid-19. Covid has shed a light on many inequities across American society and the inequities suffered by inmates and families are terrible in normal times but are even worse due to the pandemic. -
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. -
2020-05-30
Budget Cuts in New York...But not for Police and Prisons
This article highlights (at least for me), where our nations priority lay. Educational services always take the brunt of our nations cuts. It is so unfair to our children. Don't they know that education spending will decrease the need for prisons? -
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. -
2020-06-15
As COVID-19 Spreads In Prisons, Lockdowns Spark Fear Of More Solitary Confinement
As the US struggles to deal with covid-19 so do the nations corrections facilities. Due to their architecture and systems the facilities are at high risk of covid spreading rapidly through their populations. Advocates are becoming increasingly concerned over a new policy in some facilities which are using solitary confinement as an answer to the problem of quarantine. While advocates of abolishing solitary confinement are concerned for all of the regular reasons this causes extra alarm because they are worried the practice will become more wide spread and more commonly used both during the pandemic and once it is over. -
2020-03-29
Texas Governor Signs Executive Order to Stop Early Release from Prisons/Jails Due to Covid
In an effort to slow the spread of covid-19 inside of US prisons and jails some inmates have been release early or sent home, on house arrest. As discussions were happening across the country regarding this idea Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, signed an executive order to stop early release from the states correctional facilities. -
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. -
2020-05-11
Coping With COVID-19 Crisis: Jule Hall & Lynn Novick On The Devastating Impact On Prison Education Depicted In Docuseries ‘College Behind Bars’
Once the covid pandemic settled in across the nation it was obvious that schools, preschool through university, had to be shut down. Many schools turned to online instruction and learning but this presented a problem for a large number of students who don't have the hardware or access to an internet connection. One population you wouldn't expect to also struggle with this issue are prisons. Many prisons across the country offer college to inmates. Conducted by professors who visit the prison to provide instruction. As a precaution to lessen the introduction of the virus into the prison many facilities stopped visitors including the college professors. This article discusses how this has impacted the inmates. ASU, HST580 -
2020-04-14
Unprotected in Prison: Pleas for Help from the Inside
As covid-19 spread across the nation it's inmates began expressing their fear of dying. The living situation inside prisons and other similar facilities, like jails and detention centers, make social distancing impossible and right now frequent hand washing, and wearing a mask are the only tools the world has to combat the virus. Prisoner's and their advocates state that a prison sentence should not be turned into a death sentence. In this phone interview and article published by ACLU Smart Justice Michigan, inmate, Quentin X Betty, shares his fear of dying and the reality that employees and the prison do not see inmates as humans with a right to life. HST580, ASU -
2020-06-10
COVID-19 Inside Arkansas Prisons: The Past and Future
The covid pandemic has shown the world, especially the US, how suceptible certain populaations are to any communicable disease. The virus has hit hard in places where social distancing is at best difficult. Places like elder care facilities, meat packing plants, and prisons. In the final installment of her three part series, covering covid inside Arkansas State prisons, NPR reporter Anna Stitt, looks at the history and future of the Arkansas prison system. Much of her focus has been on the Cummins Unit. A prison opened in 1902 and named after one of the plantations who formerly owned the land. Upon opening and through present day the prison operates a farm that is worked by inmates for no pay. They were still farming cotton, with guards on horseback, holding rifles, in the 1990's. An image that looks like it could have been taken one hundred years ago. This prison has been part of numerous scandals and appears to be in the midst of one today. When the NAACP Legal Defense Fund sued to gain early release for the medically vulnerable the judge denied the request saying there wasn't sufficient proof that the Corrections Department was mishandling the pandemic. Inmates report being denied testing even once exposed to the virus. When inmates attourney's requested security footage the Department of Corrections filed a motion to block the request but the judge allowed the attorney's to see the footage. The treatment of inmates has resulted in their families and friends staging a protest outside the Arkansas Governor's Mansion on May 16th and a coalition of organizations delivering demands to the governor on June 1st. HST580, ASU -
2020-04-04
'We need help': Alabama prisoner pleas for assistance in fighting COVID-19
ABC News video showing video from inside an Alabama prison and the inmates inability to social distance. The prisoner on the video asks for HELP. As of the date of this video no Alabama prisoner had tested positive for the virus though at least two employees have tested positive. After the interview with the prisoner the host goes on to discuss the issue with a former female inmate and a former doctor in charge of prison health in another state. The host also interviews a sheriff who argues that releasing inmates is not safe for the community. -
2020-04-19
Prison in the Time of Coronavirus
This video, produced by CBS Sunday Morning, illustrates the unique problems created by coronavirus inside America's jails and prisons. The US currently has 2.3 million people incarcerated. Many of them are in jail awaiting trial and remain there only because they cannot pay their bail. They have not yet been convicted of a crime. As they point out in the video it is easy for the public to ignore the correctional facilities across the country, but the spread of the virus has changed this. An outbreak in prison can lead to an outbreak outside the prison. While prisons have internal medical facilities there are no ICU beds, which are often needed to treat severe cases of coronavirus. Instead severely ill prisoners are taken outside of the prison to the local hospital. In non-severe cases some prisoners are placed in solitary confinement as a way to quarantine them. This video, almost eight minutes long, mentions Rikers Island Jail in New York, San Quinton Prison in San Francisco, Marion Correctional Institute in Ohio, a Tampa man released early who is charged with murdering someone the following day, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, Orange is the New Black (book and TV show), and the podcast Ear Hustle. HST580, ASU -
2020-04-02
Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations — Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons
The spread of coronavirus has highlighted people and places who are most at risk for contracting and spreading the virus and the nation's incarcerated people are high risk for both. The people entering the prison system come from already vulnerable populations and half of the incarcerated population already has at least one chronic illness. This puts them at greater odds of contracting and dying from the disease. This article explains what measures the Federal Bureau of Prisons have taken to limit the spread of the disease and the authors, three doctors, suggest a three prong approach but fall back on the real way to slow the spread is to release people who are not likely to be a public threat. HST580, ASU -
2020-04-06
Prisoner afraid to leave dorm because of covid
This video shows still images of a jail with an audio interview of an inmate expressing his fear of the virus, causing him not to leave his bunk. -
2020-06-04
Supreme Court blocks order to remove inmates at prison infected with COVID-19
This article from NBC News covers the Supreme Courts ruling, blocking the release of 800 incarcerated persons from the Elkton Federal Correctional Institution, near Canton, Ohio. -
2020-05-21
Covid-19's Impact on People in Prison
This article from the Equal Justice Initiative covers the unique concerns covid causes for incarcerated people. HST580, ASU -
2020-04-18
Interviews inside a covid positive prison
This article interviews inmates, family of inmates, employees, and officials from the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, Louisiana. The interviews were conducted orally, written, over text, and social media. Both the employees and inmates tell a story of an ill prepared system, though the prison claims to have begun preparing in January. -
2020-03-30
‘Jails Are Petri Dishes’
As the US faced the real threat of the coronavirus it became clear that "jails are petri dishes." Due to overcrowding and the large number of people that go in and out of the buildings daily it is impossible to stop the virus from coming in and spreading rapidly. Government and prison officials began discussing early release or releasing those still awaiting trial, particularly for nonviolent offenses. As with the rest of the nation the fear is that the virus will spread so quickly that the nations medical system will be overwhelmed. The same is true within the prison but the fear is that the inmates and employees of the prisons will add to the medical crises outside the prison. -
2020-05-26
Inmates claim their symptoms are ignored
In prison social distancing is impossible. Once covid enters a prison many become infected quickly. Inmates are saying their efforts to obtain medical care are being ignored and families are not being notified when their inmates become ill. Instead they are only being notified once their inmate has died from the virus. -
2020-05-14
Prison population remains stable during pandemic
In response to the inability to social distance within prisons government and prison officials have considered releasing some inmates early to slow the spread of the virus but this article states that has not happened. It points to the officials fear of inmates released early committing a crime.