
Aamonte Hadley spent two years in San Francisco County Jail, waiting for her trial. In September, the 22-year-old was found dead in her cell. And unfortunately, her experience speaks to what many women endure while incarcerated in San Francisco.
According to the Appeal, alongside increasing populations, the mixed-gender jail lacks outdoor space, depriving men and women of fresh air and sunlight. And though the average stay is 324 days, hundreds are held for alleged non-violent property offenses. One-third of the population was unhoused when they were arrested. There is a culture of sexual assault, solitary confinement, and retaliation against the filing of complaints. San Francisco elites who demanded a harsh crackdown are partly to blame.
Wealthy residents, including powerful billionaires, invested in prematurely replacing the city’s district attorney with one who not only promised more arrests and prosecutions but “regularly met with corporate retailers to discuss theft.”
Aamonte Hadley’s death came after she was denied access to mental health court. So, while San Francisco elites relish their “safer” city, safety isn’t accessible to everyone else.
Prisons and policing protect property, wealth, and systemic injustices — not us. Seeking the truth about conditions in these jails combats the narrative that those who can’t exploit the system the way they can are disposable and unworthy of safety.