Judge Rules CDCR Inflicted Cruel and Unusual Punishment on San Quentin Incarcerated People During Massive COVID Outbreak

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A judge has ruled California prison officials inflicted cruel and unusual punishment on inmates at San Quentin State Prison as a massive COVID-19 outbreak infected more that 2,600 prisoners and staff in the summer of 2020.

Marin County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Howard made a final ruling in the case against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Tuesday, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office announced Thursday.