November 12, 2020
Eric Westervelt, NPR News

Prisoner’s rights advocates are pleading for more action to help stop the deadly toll taken by the pandemic that has ravaged America’s jails and prisons. Their calls come as the country grapples with increases in cases and hospitalizations from the coronavirus, forcing states and cities to impose tougher restrictions on public gatherings. The advocates want faster, early release of older and medically vulnerable inmates, those nearing their parole date, as well as non-violent prisoners with a track record of good behavior. “Things are as bad as ever,” says attorney Jamie Popper, who works on prisoners’ rights issues in South Carolina and California with the group Root & Rebound, reentry advocates. “It shows that the government is failing to protect the most vulnerable people who can’t protect themselves because of their status as incarcerated people.”

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