FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 20th, 2022
Contact:
Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org | (347) 201-2768
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Two More Incarcerated People in Connecticut Die from COVID
COVID Deaths on the Rise in CT DOC
Statement from Kenyatta Muzzanni, Director of Organizing, Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice
Hartford, CT: “News broke yesterday that two more incarcerated people in Connecticut passed away due to COVID-19. Three weeks into 2022, four people have died in custody of the CT Department of Corrections, bringing the total number of deaths in the DOC due to COVID-19 to 27. These tragic deaths underscore the urgency to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 plan in the Department of Corrections, something Governor Lamont has refused to do. By disregarding the recommendations of community groups, public health experts, and family members of those incarcerated, the Lamont administration is responsible for dozens of preventable deaths.
To date, more than 7,000 incarcerated people in the CT DOC have tested positive for COVID-19. This means that more than 2/3 of the entire prison and jail population in the state have tested positive for the virus in state correctional facilities – while the general population in CT is less than 20%. Since the pandemic began, community groups and public health experts have called for Governor Lamont to develop a clear, coherent plan for reducing the impact of COVID-19 in correctional facilities, with the main recommendation being releasing people from prisons and jails. Governor Lamont has refused to meet with families and community members most impacted by the risks of COVID-19 behind bars, including Katal members and staff, who have incarcerated loved ones in CT. If Governor Lamont bothered listening to families and directly impacted people and public health experts, lives might otherwise be saved.
Katal offers our condolences to the family of the two individuals who died of COVID-19 in CT DOC Custody. Without action from the Lamont Administration, it is clear there will be more needless deaths.”
