New COVID-19 resources and updates
Prison Policy Initiative updates for April 9, 2020 Showing how mass incarceration harms communities and our national welfare
This week, we've published two new handy resources about COVID-19 and the criminal justice system. And we've logged several updates about what state and local governments are doing to prevent the virus from spreading in jails and prisons. (See sidebar).
Explainer: We can safely release thousands of people from prison right now — history proves it [[link removed]]
Most prisons and many jails have done very little to reduce the population density that puts both incarcerated people and staff at grave risk. To justify their lack of action, we’re hearing officials imply that saving the lives of people behind bars is not worth the inevitable public safety cost of releasing them. This talking point is simply out of step with history.
In a new briefing, we show that large-scale releases have been common throughout U.S. and international history for a variety of legal, political and health reasons. We offer a (non-exhaustive) summary of 14 notable examples.
Read more and see the 14 examples at [link removed]. [[link removed]]
New spreadsheet: tracking the statements of Departments of Corrections on the COVID-19 virus [[link removed]]
We released a 50-state spreadsheet [[link removed]] showing what each state Department of Corrections has told the public about its virus response plan. The spreadsheet includes:
Links to each state’s COVID-19 page or its archive of press releases Links to the infection and fatality trackers for each state (about half of all states have this) Notes on whether each state is addressing 15 separate topics, including the suspension of visits, increased access to hygiene materials, isolation plans, etc.
Read more and see the full spreadsheet at [link removed]. [[link removed]]
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Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
Other news: New state and local updates from our Virus Response page [[link removed]]
Multiple times a day, we update our list [[link removed]] of the most significant policy changes in state and local governments. The newest updates:
In Boulder County, Colorado, [[link removed]] and Marin County, California, [[link removed]] jails are releasing more people from confinement. Kentucky [[link removed]] is expediting releases via commutations. Only three states have not suspended medical co-pays for people in state prisons: Nevada, Hawaii, and Delaware. [[link removed]] Help us keep our COVID-19 resources up to date
If you know of notable state and local reforms that we should be listing on our virus response page, [[link removed]] please let us know at
[email protected] — we won’t list everything, but we appreciate what you can send us.
Please support our work [[link removed]]
Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
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Prison Policy Initiative
PO Box 127 Northampton, Mass. 01061
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