Prisoners inside the Elmore and Escambia prisons, directly across from the new 4,000 bed “mega-prison” sites, resist construction alongside local nature enthusiasts

The following text, pictures, videos and links give a glimpse at activity surrounding the February 1st #NationalFreedomDay call to action associated with the #CagingCOVID campaign. This effort included the organizational endorsement of 77 organizations, ranging from larger national groups such as the Human Rights Defense Center and Greenpeace, to smaller, local grassroots groups spread across […]

Press Release For Immediate Release: January 28, 2021 Washington D.C. — Prisoner rights activists and abolitionists representing 70+ organizations across the country will be traveling to DC to hand-deliver a petition on Monday, Feb 1st, National Freedom Day, to the incoming head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke [pictured above]. […]

For Immediate Release: January 28, 2021 Washington D.C. — Prisoner rights activists and abolitionists representing 70+ organizations across the country will be traveling to DC to hand-deliver a petition on Monday, Feb 1st, National Freedom Day, to the incoming head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke.   The group will gather at […]

FAQ on How the DOJ Can and Should Act to Limit COVID-19 Spread in Prisons UPDATED 1/27/21 THE ORIGINAL SOURCE FOR FAQ CAN BE FOUND HERE. CHECK FOR UPDATES. CONTENTS Where is this FAQ coming from? Why focus on the DOJ? What does the Office of the Inspector General do? Can people also file complaints […]

Links to COVID-19 prisoner rights protests nationwide The following is a glimpse of news coverage from protests and lawsuits about COVID-19 in prisons and jail. More will be added as they are gathered.  TX https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/12/13/prison-fires https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/1338637/inmates-face-uphill-climb-for-virus-outbreak-relief CA https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article244517132.html WI https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2020/11/24/protesters-evers-should-reduce-prison-population-amid-covid-outbreak/6405252002/ WA https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/09/830450210/inmates-in-washington-state-protest-after-fellow-prisoners-test-positive-for-cov UT https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/10/13/family-members-protest/ MN https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/11/08/protesters-rally-outside-stillwater-prison-after-fatal-covid-outbreak-prisoners-lives-also-matter/ CT https://ctmirror.org/2020/04/06/a-noisy-protest-then-prison-chief-confirms-he-has-been-reducing-inmate-population/ NJ https://whyy.org/articles/why-cant-they-bring-him-home-families-with-incarcerated-loved-ones-worry-about-covid-19-spike-in-camden-jail/ FL https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/protesters-seek-change-to-inhumane-conditions-in-federal-prison-in-pandemic/2267633/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-man-encases-arms-concrete-protest-prison-conditions-during-pandemic-n1186886 https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Drive-by-protest-for-inmate-safety-circles-Florida-State-Capital–569608701.html

VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT: Chrystal Camacho, daughter of Henry Camacho who passed away after contracting coronavirus in Sumter Correctional Institution in Florida, gives a speech at a public funeral held at the state capitol in Tallahassee to honor all the incarcerated lives lost to Covid-19 in Florida prisons and detention centers. Chrystal Camacho’s speech from 8/22/2020 transcribed: “L15812 […]

Testimony from an incarcerated person in Washington State Prison, Georgia On July 3, 2020 I knew I was in trouble. I had been sick for a couple days and now had most of the known symptoms. My roommate had the same thing. I tried to fight it off because most people were beating it in […]

Update of the conditions of living for inmates at Ware State Prison as of Monday, August 10, 2020. We are now receiving one hot meal for dinner. The food is awful because they are letting the inmates from M building prepare the meals. These inmates are not cooks, they work outside detail. We are receiving […]

“Y’all see us like we’re not human.” While hundreds of prisons across the country fail to provide adequate protections and honor health regulations during the pandemic, the incarcerated find themselves having to plead their case to the court of public opinion. Lavontaye Graham presents a case calling for compassion, bemoaning the indifference felt by too many in regards to the safety of those locked in a "pitri dish for disaster."