California Coalition for Women Prisoners joins with Young Women’s Freedom Center and the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition to demand action in response to the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff at the California Institution for Women and the Central California Women’s Facility.

Demands by wardens of both prisons have been made for weeks. Unfortunatly, no significant efforts have been made to combat this spread.

The news of confirmed COVID-19 cases comes from the California Department of Corrections’ tracking data, but sources inside are concerned that the number is higher since infected staff had contact with prisoners.

“The lack of an adequate response to COVID-19 by prison administrators shows that action must be taken by CDCR headquarters to provide life-saving protection to incarcerated individuals. CDCR must work with Governor Newsom to release those who are at greatest risk to prevent countless deaths” said Romarilyn Ralston, organizer for California Coalition for Women Prisoners.

Community groups demanding immediate action in a letter to CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz and federal medical Receiver, Clark Kelso. Demands are to release elderly and medically vulnerable people along with other immediate protective actions to prevent escalating this outbreak.