Covid-19 in California’s Prisons

Presenter: Anna Lund

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 21-22

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Caitlin Henry

Department: Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies

Funding Source/Sponsor: Koret Scholars Program

President's Strategic Plan Goal: Diversity and Social Justice

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1TSCOkGojNvONIeTYwTX9dkgy0SLMZ6EQ

Abstract:
Individuals living in prisons are at a high risk of contracting Covid-19 and therefore high-risk people’s cases must be expedited for resentencing. As of March 2022, In California’s prisons there have been 73,325 Covid-19 positive cases and 253 Covid-realted deaths (CCDR). This number is very likely an undercount due to underreporting and a lack of Covid-19 tests. These highly populated congregate settings are potentially death sentences to high risk people. Despite the death rate from COVID-19 in prisons being more than double that of the general U.S. population lawmakers have failed at reducing prison populations significantly enough to slow the spread and mitigate risk (prisonpolicy.org). California has reduced the state prison population by about 18% since the start of the pandemic but it was not enough to prevent large COVID-19 outbreaks because as of October 2021, California’s prisons were still operating at 112% of their design capacity (CDCR). The extreme overcrowding of California’s prisons and the delay of re-sentencing procedures are responsible for the massive outbreaks and deaths of incarcerated individuals. If CCDR prioritizes Covid-risk for resentencing referrals it can potentially save lives and mitigate long-term complications from contracting Covid-19.