Media Advisory
Contact: Yan Snead, ysnead@katalcenter.org | (518) 360-1534
Follow on Twitter @KatalCenter #FreeThemNowCT #COVIDBehindBars
Wednesday: Family Members of Incarcerated People & Community Groups to Hold Protest at the Connecticut State Capitol, Demanding the Legislature and Governor Address COVID-19 in Jails and Prisons
With Virus Continuing to Spread, Governor Lamont and the Legislature Must Immediately Release Incarcerated People to Save Lives
Families and Community Members Demand Action as 1,344 Incarcerated Individuals Have Tested Positive for COVID-19 in CT Jails and Prisons
Hartford, CT – On Wednesday, July 29th at 10:00 am, families of incarcerated individuals and community groups will gather outside of the Connecticut State Capital for a protest and speak out to demand Governor Lamont and the legislature address the issue of COVID-19 in correctional facilities during this month’s special session. The special session began last week, but glaringly missing from the agenda is any plan or proposal to address COVID-19 in state prisons and jails. Last week, Katal members released a statement, featured in the CT Mirror, calling for the General Assembly to develop a comprehensive plan that saves lives and addresses COVID-19 in prisons and jails. Governor Lamont and the legislature must act now to save the lives of incarcerated residents, who are disproportionately Black and Latinx. The press is invited to attend and hear testimonies from CT constituents who will speak about the individuals left behind by Governor Lamont amidst the worst health crisis of our time.
WHAT: Protest and speak out at Connecticut State Capital to demand the release of incarcerated individuals due to COVID-19
WHEN: Wednesday, July 27th, 2020 |10-11AM
WHERE: 210 Capitol Avenue Hartford, CT 06106 (North Side facing Bushnell Park)
WHO: Family members of those currently incarcerated; constituents; and the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice
As the pandemic continues to spread across the country, correctional facilities make up the 10 worst outbreak sites of COVID-19 in the country. However, Governor Lamont has refused to take the necessary preventive measures to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 within the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Corrections employees and public health experts have recommended for months the immediate release of incarcerated individuals and highlighting the urgent threat of COVID-19 in jails and prison across the state. With 1,344 positive COVID-19 cases and 7 COVID-19 deaths for incarcerated individuals, every day that the Governor and legislature do not act means incarcerated individuals remain in life threatening danger.
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