April 14, 2020: New York, New York
Today, the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, Parole Preparation
Project, #HALTsolitary Campaign, VOCAL-NY, Worth Rises, and Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club released the following statement in response to the fourth death of a New Yorker in prison with COVID-19:
“Governor Cuomo has more blood on his hands. Tragically, the fourth incarcerated person in his COVID-19 infested prison system has died with the virus. These deaths are Cuomo’s responsibility because he refuses to act. While he congratulates himself on cable TV, tens of thousands of New Yorkers in the state prison system and their loved ones are left terrified and
devastated. Once again, communities of color across New York State are left fearing for their lives and health.’
With 150 incarcerated people and 618 staff officially testing positive for the virus, it is just a matter of time before Cuomo’s prisons become the death camps we and so many others have been warning about. Cuomo must act now by granting life-saving clemencies to New Yorkers across the state. The lives of so many people—and the Governor’s legacy—depend on it.”