ACLU of ConnecticutKonto zweryfikowane

"That endangers staff, it endangers those who are incarcerated. The CO's who have to be there, the nurses, the CNAs, the hospice volunteers, the other patients who may already be sick with something else." - Brian Sullivan, Smart Justice leader

"When we had the MRSA outbreak, when the flu came in, there were only 4 or 5 doctors ... for all the years I was in there, a lot of people would not get seen." - Brian Sullivan

"A couple individuals that I know who are in there, family members, are just locked down. Very limited movement," says Brian Sullivan. "At the end of the day, being stuck in a cell all day, day after day, doing nothing, it plays on the mind ... it could be very very detrimental."

"Just going through a regular lock down, when you don't have access to regular visits or your family, it hurts. There are no visits right now...[and] if limited staff are coming in, it reduces movement further...that affects your mental health & physical health." - Brian Sullivan

Claudine Fox, ACLU of Connecticut campaign manager, is now speaking about the need for a coordinated public health response. She notes that thousands of people in the CT DOC right now have less than a year left in their sentence.

"Nothing brings our systemic disconnects to light like a pandemic or emergency situation," Claudine Fox says.

Claudine speaks to the need for a release plan that supports people. "If we don't pay attention to the gaps in basic human care that led people to be in our prison systems, it doesn't mean those gaps go away when people come out ... not everyone has a home to go to."

Dr. Howell agrees: "We need to be thinking about continuity of healthcare ... access to HUSKY, things like that ... we need to think about how to do this well, how to do it holistically, do it quickly."

"In the calling for an inclusive, compassionate, proactive plan, there does need to be money behind this. Programs are stressed already ... lawmakers and legislators lean in to create a stimulus package that addresses these human rights issues." - Claudine Fox

Brian Sullivan points out that outside of a pandemic, in normal times, "95% of those incarcerated are coming back to the communities, they are going to be your neighbors. And if they don't allocate now, they're going to pay more in the long run."

In response to a question from the audience, Brian notes that during normal times, it can take 24 hours to be seen in the DOC medical system if someone is sick. "They don't have the resources to handle this."

"If someone has a home, just send them to their home. Send them to their family, where they can control their environment, where they can be with their loved ones during these scary times." - Dr. Benjamin Howell

"We know from public statistics that there are about 400 fewer people in the unified system than there were on March 1 ... the confusing thing is there is a mixed message from the DOC and Gov. about why that is happening." - @DavidMcGuireEsq

"This is the time for transparency," says Dr. Howell, of the need for the government to clearly articulate its plan for releasing people in light of COVID-19.

"Not putting new people in the system, getting people out, getting people who are higher risk out," need to be part of the response, says Dr. Howell

Brian Sullivan points out that a large percentage of people incarcerated in the CT DOC right now are pre-approved already for release dates, and that others are being held pre-trial on bail -- that those are people who could be released quickly.

"This is about human life and public health," says @DavidMcGuireEsq, and notes the need for @GovNedLamont to act.

We're now moving on to the second panel, featuring legal and rights advocates on the need for a response that gets people out of harm's way.

"The government and governor himself should start with releasing more kids who are at these facilities. It's important they are not a risk to the community, and each individual has needs that need to be met," says Tenille Bonilla of @CTJJA

Tenille also speaks to the need for the government to keep supporting any youth who remain inside, including w/medical care and information. "We want to make sure that they [youth who remain incarcerated] remain safe," says Tenille of @CTJJA

"I don't agree with solitary confinement as a response to the pandemic," says Tenille Bonilla of @CTJJA, who also speaks to the need to prevent more youth from entering the system.

Connecticut Chief Public Defender Christine Rapillo, speaking about people who are pre-trial, says the state must continue "to protect people's due process rights," including because access to a lawyer is critical for pre-trial release.

"The other thing we need to do is limit intake as much as possible," says Christine Rapillo.

"We want to get them out, and not have them come back. We want them to get out and be supported," says Christine Rapillo.

"The easiest way to keep people out from in front of the COVID-19 steamroller is to keep them out of the prison system entirely," says Dan Barrett, ACLU-CT legal director.

"We're asking the Judiciary to consider modifying its rules ... for a judge to consider, 'is it wise, during this pandemic, to hold someone for lack of money, or is there something else we can do'?" - Dan Barrett

"It's important there is a plan, a unified theory by the government, to get people out," says Dan Barrett.

Dan Barrett describes additional options: the Gov. can issue a temporary reprieve, the DOC can release pre-trial people under certain conditions, programs like furlough & community supervision, the DOC can release a person directly to home confinement for certain low-level cases.

Christine Rapillo mentions that when the DOC re-asked families if they could house their loved ones upon release, the number of people who could be released increased by 20%, "just by re-asking the question."

Daryl McGraw from @IMRP speaks about his experience being incarcerated after September 11, and the lock down response.