April 22, 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 news that the fourth incarcerated person at Sing Sing Correctional Facility has died with COVID-19:
“Because Governor Cuomo fails to take real action for New Yorkers impacted in his state prisons, the fourth incarcerated person at Sing Sing Correctional Facility has died with COVID-19. He is the 6th incarcerated person in Governor Cuomo’s state prisons to die with the virus. 3.1% of everyone incarcerated at Sing Sing has tested positive for Coronavirus. That’s two times the infection rate of New York State and the true infection
rate in the facility is likely much higher because testing is appallingly limited.’
While Sing Sing is a COVID-19 epicenter, only 51 total people incarcerated there have been tested for the virus. That means more than 96% of incarcerated people in the facility remain completely untested and at serious risk. Without testing there is no way to meaningfully respond to healthcare needs. People at Sing Sing and all across Cuomo’s prisons are sick, desperate, and terrified. Many more people will die on Cuomo’s watch
unless he immediately answers the national call for him to test all incarcerated people and grant broad clemency now.”
BACKGROUND: Just today, advocates heard from multiple people incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility who described harrowing conditions. One person said that someone in a nearby cell ‘has been coughing excessively for the past four days. He complained to medical staff that he suffered from diarrhea, headache, loss of senses, excessive coughing, and fever. He was medically keeplocked – restriction to one’s cell
for at least twenty-three hours per day – and remains in general population.’ Anotherperson reported that the facility refuses to test or hospitalize anyone “unless they are dying.” The person said that least four other incarcerated people at Sing Sing are on ventilators and “aren’t looking good.”