Your loved one can request a commutation of their remaining time by applying for clemency from Governor Newsom. If your loved one already applied for clemency from Governor Brown, they can simply file a 1-page “Reapplication Form.” Here’s a guide (in English and Spanish) by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners on how to apply […]
New “Good Conduct” Credits
New “Good Conduct Credits” were announced by CDCR and are effective as of May 1, 2021. Here’s a helpful breakdown of FAQS from Initiate Justice on the new credit earning percentages and how this may apply to your loved one’s remaining time before release or a parole hearing.
#OneYearLater, #StillNotSafe Toolkit
Background May 30th marked one year since the transfer of incarcerated people from CIM prison in Chino to San Quentin State Prison without proper testing or quarantining. Following the transfer, in a matter of weeks, San Quentin went from 0 known COVID cases to what quickly became the biggest COVID outbreak in the nation. In […]
San Quentin Habeas Evidentiary Hearing
The In re Von Staich decision sets an important precedent for the right of incarcerated people to be protected from harm in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic. On October 20, 2020, the First Appellate District Court of Appeal in California ordered the removal “of the number of prisoners necessary to reduce the population […]
Sample Tweets: #ReleasesNow
Twitter: OPTION 1: Vaccines won’t keep people safe in overcrowded prisons. It’s been over a year since the first confirmed COVID case inside a CA state prison. We need to prioritize incarcerated folks’ health and safety by granting access to vaccines, AND decarcerating prisons. #ReleasesNow OPTION 2: It’s been 1 year since the first COVID […]
Sign-On Letter: Calling for Releases after 1 Year of COVID in CA Prisons
The #StopSanQuentinOutbreak Coalition drafted a sign-on letter calling on Governor Newsom to deepen his commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of incarcerated people during the pandemic by granting large scale releases across California prisons. We argue that despite the importance of prioritized vaccines for incarcerated people, significant decarceration remains the only meaningful public health […]
California Prison Transfer Led to Dozens of Deaths and Endangered Thousands – State Watchdog
February 2, 2021 Abene Clayton Covid crisis report from office of the inspector general finds concerns of healthcare staff over May transfer were ignored. A hastily executed transfer of nearly 200 people in California’s prison system set off a public health disaster that endangered the lives of thousands of prisoners and staff and led to […]
California Prison Officials Goofed and Dozens of Incarcerated People Died
February 9, 2021 Mercury News A big mistake by California prison officials spread COVID-19 and resulted in dozens of deaths, both inmates and one staff member. Gov. Gavin Newsom has unilaterally decided to eliminate California’s death penalty for capital crimes even though it remains in the law. Newsom declared a moratorium on executing any of the […]
“They Want to Do Me In”: The Incarcerated Person Who Fought COVID Overcrowding
February 8, 2021Kevin Sawyer, Filter Magazine In May, as COVID-19 loomed over incarcerated people across the country, Ivan Von Staich filed an administrative grievance to transfer out of the notoriously overcrowded 168-year-old San Quentin State Prison. In October, as a result, an appeals court ordered San Quentin to reduce its prison population by 50 percent. […]
Sign the Letter: Vaccines are not enough, Decarcerate NOW
As health professionals, students, and community advocates, we are devastated by the California Department of Corrections’ (CDCR) negligence to protect incarcerated people and demand CDCR follow the advice of public health and medical experts to urgently decarcerate their facilities while ensuring equitable access to the vaccine. BackgroundCalifornia prisons are home to the largest COVID-19 outbreaks […]