People in prison face abuses and violations on the regular due to being locked up. Now there’s a new problem thanks to the spread of COVID-19. A new isolation is taking place, and many fear the pandemic is being used as an excuse to step all over people’s rights.
Nearly 4,000 people in federal facilities have had their phone and email access cut, in a supposed effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The real result, though, is that what’s going on inside the prisons - where the outbreak is frequently out of control - is being kept quiet! That raises some important concerns.
People in prisons are being neglected and treated as if they’re disposable during the pandemic. Many are dying who don’t have to die thanks to the callous mistreatment of authorities who seem to think their lives are worthless. Their families feel differently.
People have been protesting around the nation demanding that their relatives, loved ones, and community members that are currently behind bars be freed. The pandemic has helped expose the dangers of prisons and jails as incubators for major public health risks.
When we demand dignity and respect for people who are incarcerated, it’s about more than just them. It’s about all of us. We have to make sure we’re able to secure human rights for everyone because, yes, ALL Black lives matter. People in prison count too!