ARC offices are now closed; Prisons vulnerable to coronavirus crisis

Dear John xxxxxx,

Like many organizations and businesses, we are closely monitoring the news and developments around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The well-being of our staff and members is paramount, so we are taking active measures to protect our community. As of Friday, March 13^th, all ARC offices will be closed, Hope and Redemption Teams and all inside programs have been pulled from jails and prisons, and in-person membership events are temporarily suspended.

In addition to individual precautions, our policy advocacy team is paying close attention to the health and safety of our incarcerated community members. There are 2.2 million people living in the U.S. penal system. Jail and prison conditions – particularly in California, the state with the third largest prison population – require that administrators create contingency plans to safeguard those inside who do not have freedom of movement or access to adequate medical care in the case of a public health emergency. As you may have heard on the news, Iran has temporarily freed ~70,000 incarcerated people in response to coronavirus, and nearly 30 prisons in lockdown in Italy have experienced deadly riots this week ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
ARC is joining with other criminal justice reform advocates to develop recommendations for Governor Newsom and public officials, including a plan for, at minimum, compassionate release for elderly incarcerated people, those with serious underlying health conditions, and those housed in pre-trial detention that do not pose a public safety risk.
As senior research analyst Nazgol Ghandnoosh of The Sentencing Project said in Newsweek ([link removed][UNIQID]) , "Time is of the essence to avert a public health catastrophe in the United States' prisons and jails. Protecting incarcerated people during a contagious health crisis by expediting releases would reduce the burden on prison staff of caring for the very ill and reduce demand for limited hospital resources which are shared with the broader public."

People who are incarcerated are part of our communities. According to the LA Times ([link removed][UNIQID]) , California’s prison system has struggled in the past to provide medical care, contending not just with overcrowding, but also with a shortage of doctors and appropriate facilities. Five years ago, San Quentin State Prison experienced an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, exposing 3,700+ people confined in the facility ([link removed][UNIQID]) . From this, we've learned the importance of taking extraordinary care and measures because of the nature of contagious diseases in confined spaces.
There is a moral imperative for each of us to: take steps to mitigate the exposure of the most vulnerable segments of our communities; practice thorough hand washing and office closures; but also consider how historically marginalized populations continue to suffer under modern systems of healthcare, criminal justice, and otherwise.
While we should practice social distancing ([link removed][UNIQID]) and other protective measures to flatten the coronavirus curve ([link removed][UNIQID]) , we cannot distance ourselves from the fact that individuals will experience this pandemic differently depending on socioeconomic status, race, zip code, place of confinement, supervision status, and access to physical and medical resources. We cannot let xenophobia or sensationalism dictate our collective actions.

We want you to know that ARC – albeit remotely – will continue to work to end mass incarceration in California and protect those who are most adversely impacted by this crisis.

If you are interested in learning more about the intersection of coronavirus and incarceration, we encourage you to explore the articles linked in this message. As our offices are now closed, please email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) with any inquiries and you will be directed to the appropriate staff person. The most up-to-date information for our members will be posted on our closed Facebook group.

To all of our ARC members, staff, allies, and family: stay safe and healthy, and we will see you back in our offices soon.

Sincerely,

Sam Lewis
Executive Director
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