03/14/2020
Public Health Is Public Safety: Amistad Law Project’s Call for Emergency Measures to Bring People Home from Prison to Curb Spread of COVID-19 In Pennsylvania Prisons
Prisons are mandatory, large public gatherings of thousands of people and are not safe from a public health perspective. They are cramped and unsanitary places where people are routinely denied healthcare. COVID-19 creates conditions that will inevitably result in a human rights crisis in PA prisons unless the Commonwealth takes decisive action.
To avert catastrophe and reduce the harm of COVID-19, Amistad Law Project demands the following:
Healthcare in prison (and outside of prison) should be completely free and people should be encouraged to seek treatment if they show symptoms of COVID-19. All co-pays should be eliminated and people should be provided all medicine free of charge. Volunteer physicians should be sought in communities surrounding state prisons to assist in treating incarcerated people who contract COVID-19.
The Parole Board and the DOC should work together to release as many people on parole as quickly and safely as possible. Criteria should be established for people who have hit their minimum dates and are now parole eligible that gives them the presumption of parole if they have been misconduct free for certain a number of years or have demonstrated rehabilitation in other measurable ways. Parole hearings should be expedited for all incarcerated people.
The Governor should explore emergency measures to release as many elderly people and people with comorbidities and complex medical needs from prison as quickly and safely as possible.The most vulnerable are obviously the elderly, as well as people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, high blood pressure and cancer.
The Commonwealth should take this opportunity to re-establish a system of furlough. In societies around the world, mass furloughs are being issued as a way to combat COVID-19.
There should be an immediate halt to all ICE detention in any PA county jail or state prison.
Since visits are now suspended, and because research shows that family connections are vital for people’s successful reentry to society and that social connection boosts our immune systems, the DOC should immediately take measures to make phone calls and Connect Network emails completely free so people can stay in touch.
The DOC should also quickly move to implement a video visiting platform where video/virtual visits can be conducted from home instead of requiring the family member or friend to travel to a location (usually a nearby state prison) where the video visit is conducted. It’s imperative that people be allowed to stay connected with family during this time, and with people unable to visit state prisons to conduct video visits for the near term, video visits from home will be the only means for families to stay in contact.
The DOC should disseminate information to all incarcerated people and staff people on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and institute enhanced cleaning protocols for all State Correctional Institutions to reduce the presence of COVID-19 on surfaces inside state prisons.
The Commonwealth should take emergency measures to make sure people coming home have access to re-entry support which will provide them healthcare, housing and all the things they need to be successful and safe in re-entry.
