RAPP Campaign

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • EVENTS
  • PRESS
  • REPORTS
  • DONATE
You are here: Home / Archives for COVID-19

February 22, 2021

Media Advisories, Press Releases, Briefings

Share

Monday, February 22, 2021: People’s Campaign for Parole Justice Responds to Fair & Timely Parole Act Passing NY Senate Crime Committee • Press Statement

Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 10 am: Currently Incarcerated Black New Yorkers and Black Leaders From NY Working Families Party, Houses of Worship, and Communities Across NY State Join Legislators in Black History Month Virtual Press Conference in Support of Parole Reform • PRESS RELEASE (and watch recorded 45-minute session HERE)

Thursday, February 4, 2021: Release Aging People in Prison Campaign Responds to Announcement That NYS Prisons Will Begin Vaccinating Incarcerated Older People: BREAKING, PRESS STATEMENT

Thursday, February 4, 2021: Following COVID Death Amid Outbreak at Franklin Prison, Advocates Demand NYS Lawmakers Pass Parole Justice and #HALTsolitary Reforms: PRESS STATEMENT

Monday, February 1, 2021: Over 5,000 People Incarcerated in NY State Prisons Have Now Tested Positive for COVID-19: PRESS STATEMENT

Wednesday, January 27, 2021: Press Release:  Amid COVID-19 Surge and State Fiscal Crisis, Lawmakers, Victim and Survivor Advocates, and Families Impacted by Incarceration to Hold Virtual Rally to Save Lives and Save Money by Passing Parole Reform  •  WATCH recorded press conference here

Tuesday, January 26, 2021: Following Cuomo Admin’s Admission in NY Times Front Page Exposé That NY Has No Plan To Vaccinate Incarcerated People in State Prisons, Advocates Demand Immediate Releases and Access to Vaccine • PRESS STATEMENT

Friday, January 22, 2021: Following Another COVID-19 Death At Bedford Hills Prison for Women, Advocates Demand NY State Lawmakers Pass Parole Justice and HALT Solitary Reforms • PRESS STATEMENT

Friday, January 15, 2021: Advocates Respond to  COVID-19 Death of Another Incarcerated Person By Demanding NY State Lawmakers Pass Parole Justice and #HALTSolitary Prison Reforms • PRESS STATEMENT

Thursday, January 14, 2021: Currently Incarcerated New Yorkers, Victim and Survivor Advocates, and 25+ State Lawmakers Announce New Parole Reform Campaign: People’s Campaign for Parole Justice • PRESS RELEASE • Watch recorded event (1 hour  and  10 minutes) HERE 

Tuesday, January 12,  2021: Advocates Respond to COVID Death of Another Incarcerated Person By Demanding State Lawmakers Pass COVID-Related Reforms As They Start 2021 Session • PRESS STATEMENT

Wednesday, January 6, 2021: Advocates Respond to COVID-19 Deaths of Three More Incarcerated People by Demanding State Lawmakers Pass COVID-related Reforms as They Begin 2021 Session • Media Advisory

Tuesday, January 5, 2021: With 6 New Deaths and Spike in COVID Cases in State Prisons, Advocates and Family Members Call on Gov. Cuomo to Ensure Incarcerated New Yorkers are Prioritized for Vaccine Access • Media Statement

Saturday, January 2, 2021: In wake of two more COVID-19 deaths in NYS prisons, advocates call on Albany lawmakers to pass reforms as Gov. Cuomo refuses to address the crisis • media advisory

Wednesday, December 30, 2020: Advocates Mourn Another Incarcerated Person Dead of COVID-19, in Wende Prison, and Amid Rising Death Toll, Renew Call for Emergency Action • Media Advisory 

Tuesday, December 29, 2020: New York Advocates Demand Emergency Action in Response to New COVID-19 Death at Auburn Prison • Media Advisory

Thursday, December 24, 2020: Advocates Welcome Home 7 New Yorkers Granted Clemency Yet Share the Heartbreak of Thousands of Families Whose Loved Ones Will Continue to Languish Behind Bars During COVID-19 Pandemic • 2,519 incarcerated people  in NY  applied for clemency in 2020; Cuomo granted clemency to  less than 1% of  them.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020, Mineola, NY: Long Island Advocates and Community Members Call on Gov. Cuomo Ahead of the Holidays and Amidst COVID-19 • Press Release

Tuesday, December 22, 2020: New York Advocates Demand Emergency Decarceration in Response to New COVID-19 Death at Clinton Prison

Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Ahead of Christmas and Amid COVID-19 Prison Surge, Coalition of Advocates Rally to Call on Gov. Cuomo to Grant Clemency to Incarcerated New Yorkers • Press Release

Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Advocates Respond to NYS Prison Closure Announcement • press release

Thursday, December 17, 2020: Advocates Demand Immediate Decarceration in Response to New COVID Death at Woodbourne CF • statement for immediate release

Thursday, December 10, 2020: Advocates Call for Immediate Action to Release Incarcerated People Amid New COVID-19 Spike in NYS Prisons • For Immediate Release

Monday, December 7, 2020, 5:30 pm • Families of Those in Prison and Advocates Will Hold Vigil At Governor’s Mansion to Call on Gov. Cuomo to Grant Emergency Clemencies Amidst COVID-19 Surge (Media Advisory)

MONDAY, November 23, 2020: Ahead of Thanksgiving and Amidst COVID-19 Surge, Families of Those in Prison, Formerly Incarcerated Leaders, Lawmakers, and Advocates Call on Gov. Cuomo to Grant Clemency to Bring People Home for the Holidays • Press release • WATCH the recorded rally here

THURSDAY, November 12, 2020: Advocates, Family Members To Rally Calling on Gov. Cuomo To Release Arthur Green, 70 Years Old, Who Is Dying in Wende Correctional Facility • Press release

WEDNESDAY, October 28, 2020: Advocates Slam Gov. Cuomo for Misleading the Public About Unprecedented Rise in COVID-19 Cases in State Prison

THURSDAY, October 22, 2020: COVID-19 Cases Rise in NYS Prisons; Advocates Rallied Outside Greene CF, Calling on Gov.Cuomo, NYS  Lawmakers, to Grant Clemencies, Pass Elder Parole and Fair and Timely Parole: Press Release

THURSDAY, October 22, 2020: Amidst New COVID-19 Spike and Another COVID-19 Death in  NYS Prison, Advocates Will Rally Outside Greene Prison, a COVID Hotspot: Media Advisory

MONDAY, October 19, 2020: 13 Groups Demand Gov. Cuomo, State Lawmakers Take Immediate Action to Release Incarcerated People in Wake of Another COVID-19 Death And Second Wave of Cases in NYS Prisons For Immediate Release

WEDNESDAY, October 14, 2020: Rally and Vigil in Wake of In-Prison Death of Salih Abdullah, 74-Year-Old Elder Who Died in Prison During His 14th Parole Hearing: Press Release

WEDNESDAY, October 14, 2020: Advocates, State Lawmakers To Hold Rally and Vigil in the Wake of In-Prison Death of Salih Abdullah; 74-Year-Old Elder Who Suffered Fatal Stroke in the Middle of His 14th Parole Board Interview at Wende Correctional Facility After 47 Years in Prison (Media Advisory)

TUESDAY, October 13, 2020: On the Needless, Cruel Death of Salih Abdullah, 74, Who Died During 14th Appearance at NYS Parole Board, After 47 Years Behind Bars

SUNDAY, October 11, 2020 • Criminal Justice Advocates Discover “Missing Chapter” of Governor Cuomo’s Book, Call on Him to Address the COVID-19 Crisis Behind Bars. For Immediate Release

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020: “The Missing Chapter: Governor Cuomo’s Failure to Protect Incarcerated New Yorkers from COVID-19” This is the chapter missing from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New Book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From The COVID-19 Pandemic.”

TUESDAY, September 22, 9:00 am • In Advance of NYS Senate Hearing on COVID-19 in Prisons and Jails, Advocates Hold a Virtual Press Conference Demanding More Releases, Better Conditions for Incarcerated New Yorkers • READ the written testimony and recommendations of Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP and Parole Preparation Project

SUNDAY, September 13, 2020, 1:00 pm • Attica is Now! rallies in NYC (Foley Square) and Albany (West Capitol Park) demand justice for incarcerated New Yorkers • Press Release
• WATCH the zoom recording here (rally starts at 0:14:39) •

WEDNESDAY, August 19, 2020, 10:00 am • People’s Hearing on COVID-19 and Prisons and Jails • Press Release – hearing sponsored by Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, Parole Preparation Project, #HALTsolitary Campaign, FWD.us, and Center for Community Alternatives • View the recorded hearing HERE

Wednesday, July 29, 2020: STATEMENT: RAPP CAMPAIGN CALLS OUT AG WILLIAM BARR’S COMMENTS ON SENTENCING OLDER PEOPLE TO PRISON (See Barr’s comments via Twitter)

Friday, July 24, 2020: BREAKING: Advocates Demand Gov. Cuomo & NY State Lawmakers Take Immediate Action to Release Incarcerated People in Response to the Latest COVID-19 Death in the NY State Prison System

Thursday, July 23, 2020: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Advocates Slam Gov. Cuomo for Failing to Provide COVID-19 Testing Results to More Than 1,000 Incarcerated People

Tuesday, July 21, 2020, Justice Advocates Held Press Conference to End 24-Hour Demonstration in Albany Laying Body Bags on State Capitol Steps (Recorded Zoom link  here)

Monday, July 20, 2020: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Justice Advocates Launch 24-Hour Demonstration at NY State Capitol to Demand Lawmakers Pass Prison Reform Bill Package (Recorded Zoom link here)

WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2020: Activists Respond to First COVID-19 Case at Gov. Cuomo’s New Prison Nursing Home at Adirondack Correctional Facility – Statement for Immediate Release

MONDAY, July 6, 2020: Local Activists and Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Host Press Conference at Adirondack CF Calling on Gov. Cuomo and State Legislative Leaders to Release Everyone From New Prison Nursing Home Press Release; WATCH recorded video here

THURSDAY, July 2, 2020: Amid Calls for Racial Justice and Defunding Police, Gov. Cuomo Plans to Roll Back Bail Reforms and Increase NY’s Incarcerated Population Press release (zoom recording HERE)

THURSDAY, June 25, 2020: RAPP Blasts Cuomo, NYSDOCCS Plan to Create Nursing Home Behind Bars, Endangering Lives of Older Incarcerated NY’ers

WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020: Statement from Advocates: After Years of Pressure, Gov. Cuomo Grants Three Clemencies

TUESDAY, June 9, 2020: RAPP Campaign Responds to NYS Legislature’s Passage of Bill to Repeal 50A in Wake of Murder of George Floyd

FRIDAY, June 5, 2020: 176 Organizations Tell the NYS Legislature to Address the Devastation Visited on Black New Yorkers by State Violence of Prisons and Policing

WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020: Advocates Respond to Brutal Death of Incarcerated Person at Metropolitan Detention Center 

TUESDAY, June 2, 2020: In Wake of George Floyd Murder and Police Violence, Community Leaders Demand NY State Stand Against Racist State Violence Behind Bars • Press Release (Zoom for recorded press conference HERE; password: 8o^qLg.7)

SATURDAY, May 30, 2020: On Anniversary of First NYS Prison Death from COVID-19, NY Doctors and Medical Professionals Call on Gov. Cuomo to Grant Clemencies and Decarcerate NYS Prisons During Pandemic

WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020: Hundreds of People From Across NYS Hold Virtual Advocacy Day to Demand the Legislature Pass HALT Solitary and Elder Parole Bills as Part of COVID-19 Response

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020: NYS Grassroots Criminal Justice Community Calls on Legislature to Oppose New COVID-19 Prison Bill That Purports to Give Cuomo Admin Power it Already Has and Effectively Continues Months of Legislative Inaction

THURSDAY, May 21, 2020: As Legislature Plans to Reconvene, Advocates Held Virtually-Connected Rallies Outside Assembly and Senate Leaders’ Offices & Queensboro Correctional Facility Demanding New York’s COVID-19 Response Include People in Prison – Press Release

TUESDAY, May 19, 2020: As Legislature Plans to Reconvene, Advocates Demand Passage of Urgent Legislation to Help Prevent COVID Deaths and Suffering in Prison & Correct Longstanding Injustices Exacerbating the Pandemic

MONDAY, May 18, 2020: Ahead of NY State Legislative Hearing on COVID-19’s Impact on Communities of Color, Black and Latinx Community Leaders Hold Virtual Press Conference to Call Out Legislative Leaders for Excluding Mass Incarceration Issues and Demand the Legislature Reconvene to Pass Urgent, Life-Saving Measures – Media Advisory Watch recorded video HERE (password: 5F.56%K2)

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020: As New Data Show People of Color Account for 81% of Prison Deaths since COVID-19 Outbreak, Advocates Demand NYS Prison Director Annucci Testify at Legislative Hearing on COVID-19 and Communities of Color

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020: Media Advisory – Honoring Mother’s Day, Groups Rally at Bedford Hills CF to Demand Immediate Release of Women in NYS Prisons, Starting With Those Most Vulnerable to Death By COVID-19

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020: NYS Has Released Less Than One Half of One Percent of Incarcerated NY’ers; Advocates Demand Gov. Cuomo Grant Broad Clemencies

MONDAY, May 11, 2020: Gov. Cuomo’s Exclusionary Release Plan Effectively Sentences Some People to Death

THURSDAY, May 7, 2020: In Wake of More COVID-19 Deaths, Advocates Hold Two-Day Vigil Outside Fishkill CF and Burial Grounds • Media Advisory (Front page photo by Walter Hergt)

WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2020: Advocates Slam Gov. Cuomo for Forcing Incarcerated People to Make Hundreds of Thousands of Protective Masks They Can’t Wear; Call on Cuomo to Grant Broad Clemency and Take Other COVID Actions

TUESDAY, May 5, 2020 • Coalition Holds Media Briefing on COVID-19 in NYS Prisons • Fact v. Myths on Prison Conditions and Releases • Press Release

FRIDAY, May 1, 2020: Over 40 NYS Elected Officials Call on Gov. Cuomo to Immediately Release New Yorkers From Prisons During COVID-19 Pandemic

THURSDAY, April 30, 2020: Advocates Respond to First Death of an Incarcerated Woman in NYS Prison and Gov. Cuomo’s Plan to Release Some Pregnant Women

MONDAY, April 27, 2020: Two New Deaths in Fishkill Prison Due to Gov. Cuomo’s Disregard for the Lives of New Yorkers in Prison

WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2020: Governor Cuomo’s Continued Inaction Leads to 4th COVID Death at Sing Sing Prison (Press Statement)

TUESDAY, April 21, 2020: Advocates Rally Statewide Calling on Gov. Cuomo to Grant Mass Clemencies to Incarcerated New Yorkers Vulnerable to COVID-19 (PRESS RELEASE) – Rallies at State Prisons and Governor’s Mansion

SATURDAY, April 18, 2020: Advocates Slam Gov. Cuomo for Plan to Release Only a Select Few Incarcerated NY’ers during COVID-19 Pandemic (Media Statement)

TUESDAY, April 21, 2020: Advocates Hold Coordinated Statewide Day of Action at State Prisons and Governor’s Mansion Calling for Gov. Cuomo to Grant Mass Clemencies to Incarcerated New Yorkers Vulnerable to COVID-19 (Media Advisory)

THURSDAY, April 16, 2020: “People’s Briefing” Demands Gov. Cuomo Take Immediate Steps to Address Public Health Crisis Unfolding in State’s Jails, Prisons, and Detention Centers (Media Advisory) • WATCH the archived video HERE

TUESDAY, April 14, 2020: Advocates Slam Governor Cuomo for Playing God with Peoples’ Lives After He Releases a Select Few Incarcerated Older New Yorkers (See HERE for Cuomo release announcement via NY Post)

TUESDAY, April 14, 2020: Gov. Cuomo’s Inaction Leads to Death of 4th Incarcerated New Yorker

TUESDAY, April 14, 2020: Formerly Incarcerated & Other Advocates Rally at Queensboro CF to Demand Gov. Cuomo Free All Incarcerated New Yorkers Within One Year of Release Date • Media Advisory

Monday, April 13, 2020 • Another Incarcerated New Yorker Dies; Advocates and Community Leaders Unearth Prison Horrors, Call on Gov. Cuomo and NYS Board of Parole to Release Vulnerable People

Sunday, April 12, 2020 • COVID-19 Claims Another Incarcerated New Yorker; Advocates Demand Gov. Cuomo Grant Clemency Before More Die • COVID-19 Briefing

Saturday, April 11, 2020 • NY Prisons New COVID-19 Webpage Raises Serious Questions • Advocates’s Press Release • COVID-19 Briefing

Tuesday, April 7, 2020 • Advocates Call for Clemency as COVID-19 Numbers in State Prisons Hit Record Highs • COVID-19 Briefing

• Monday, April 6, 2020 • Status of the NYS Prisons and the need for Gov. Cuomo to Grant Clemency to elders and other incarcerated people vulnerable to coronavirus complications • COVID-19 Briefing,

More News & Statements from RAPP on the urgent need to release elders and other incarcerated people vulnerable to illness and death from the coronavirus

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020, 12:00 pm • Press Conference outside Sing Sing CF in response to first incarcerated person’s death from COVID-19 • Demand Gov. Cuomo release all vulnerable people • PRESS RELEASE HERE
WATCH the video here

(photo courtesy Andrew Courtney)

MONDAY, March 30, 2020, 12:00 pm • Virtual Press Conference featuring families of incarcerated people, public health experts, and advocates calling on Governor Cuomo to act now as the COVID-19 crisis hits NYS prisons, endangering elders and other New Yorkers behind bars vulnerable to the virus. VIDEO HERE

March 30 Virtual Press Conference PRESS RELEASE HERE

 

 

Friday, March 27, 2020, 5:00 pm • Statement in response to Gov. Cuomo releasing 1,100 people convicted of parole violations

“Governor Cuomo is doing the right thing by bringing relief to 1,100 New Yorkers convicted of violating parole. We call on the governor to use this as the first step towards justice for far more incarcerated New Yorkers who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Thousands of elders and other New Yorkers with seriously compromised immune systems continue to languish in the governor’s prison system. The governor should grant them clemency now before it’s too late.”
###

NEW! Releasing New Yorkers From Prison Is the Only Way to Save Lives in the Wake of COVID-19
Recommendations from RAPP and Parole Preparation Project (CLICK HERE for a two-page summary)

###

Sign this petition:

Governor Cuomo Must Release Incarcerated Elders & Others Vulnerable to COVID-19

•••

March 19, 2020: NYC Mayor De Blasio announces the city has ID’d 40 people in NYC jails to be reviewed for possible release. RAPP and partners say: Inadequate

March 17, 2020: Response to news that a CO from Sing Sing (Ossining CF) tested positive for coronavirus, March 17, 2020: click here

March 11, 2020:  Conference & Statement: Health experts and advocates call for release of incarcerated people vulnerable to COVID-19 •  March 11, 2020. New York, NY

PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday, March 11, 2020

 CONTACT:  Dave George 631-885-3565 / ddgeorge23@gmail.com;
Nick Encalada-Malinowski 347-259-4835 / nick@vocal-ny.org 

Livestream from press conference here

In Wake of Coronavirus Outbreak, Health Experts, Advocates and Elected Officials call on Gov. Cuomo to Release Incarcerated People Vulnerable to Virus

The Group Held a Press Conference to Call on Cuomo to Grant Emergency Clemencies to Older and Sick New Yorkers in Prison

Anthony Dixon, Director of the Community Engagement, the Parole Preparation Project

New York, NY – March 11, 2020 –Today, public health experts, elected officials, and advocacy organizations, including the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, Parole Preparation Project, VOCAL-NY, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, and Worth Rises held a press conference on the steps of New York City Hall in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. The group called on Governor Cuomo and the state legislature to take immediate action in support of incarcerated people and their families by granting clemencies to vulnerable people in prison, including older and sick incarcerated people.

The group also called on the legislature to take immediate action by passing Elder Parole (S.2144/A.9040) and the Fair and Timely Parole Act (S.497A/A.4346A), and to ensure that prison phone calls and visiting are accessible to people in prison and their families as the virus continues to spread. They also called for an end to prison labor exploitation and for the labor of incarcerated people to be fully compensated.

Jose Saldana, Director of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign said, “Medical Reports are warning that the Coronavirus is potentially fatal for the elderly, especially those with chronic health conditions and compromised immunes systems. What will Governor Cuomo do to protect the lives of the more than 10,000 elderly men and women incarcerated in prisons across the state? Hopefully, he does more than they had done for the roughly 675 elderly men and women who have died in prisons across the state in the last nine years. We call on the governor to start the process of extending clemencies to the vulnerable elderly incarcerated men and women in state prisons, who are facing death during this serious time.”

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement, “The spread of Coronavirus seems to be growing from concern to urgency and could become a full-blown health crisis in New York. There is a population that’s uniquely vulnerable that we need to remember: older and seriously ill people in our prisons. Once the virus spreads to our prisons, older incarcerated people and those with preexisting health problems will be in the virus’s crosshairs and the prisons will not have the capacity to care for them. Now would be a good time for Governor Cuomo to consider the clemency petitions of these vulnerable incarcerated people. My office stands ready to assist the governor in the consideration of these petitions for those from Brooklyn.”

Oliver Fein, M.D. and Chair of the Board for Physicians for National Health Program – NY Metro chapter said in a statement,“The threat of the Coronavirus pandemic is particularly high in prison settings. Prison environments are similar to nursing home environments, where residents are in close contact on a daily basis. Given the Kirkland, Washington experience, in which 18 residents of a nursing home have died from Coronavirus infection, it is reasonable to be concerned that the elderly and sickest populations in prisons are also at high risk. Release of such vulnerable incarcerated people is a moral imperative.“

Jack Beck, corrections health expert and former Director of the Prison Visiting Project at the Correctional Association of New York said, “It is just a matter of time before this virus enters New York State prisons and jails. When it does, it will inevitably spread. Prisons are not built to control and prevent the spread of viruses. We should take the affirmative step of releasing older people and others who are vulnerable to contract this virus when it begins to enter the prison system.

Allen Roskoff, President of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club said, “Governor Cuomo must release the elderly and sick from prison to avoid a likely potential catastrophic outbreak that cannot be controlled behind prison walls. The governor must send the elderly home where they can be protected from illness before it is too late. If Governor Cuomo fails to act, needless deaths will occur to the incarcerated, prison staff and thus to those throughout New York. In this health emergency caused by the coronaries virus pandemic, these humane measures must be implemented with great haste.

Anthony Dixon, Director of Community Engagement for the Parole Preparation Project said, “Rather than release or issue executive clemencies to elderly incarcerated people with the stroke of the pen, so that millions of dollars can be added to his war chest for combating the coronavirus, the Governor is instead resorting to being a slave driver. Essentially, the governor is confronted with two crises, the coronavirus and a staggeringly 1 out of 5 people in New York state prisons being older adults. This crisis must be addressed.”

Bianca Tylek, Executive Director at Worth Rises said, “While our elders are languishing in prison under significant threat of a lethal illness, Governor Cuomo is gloating about having them mass produce hand sanitizer to protect the public all for as little as $0.26 per hour. The slave labor used in New York prisons is abhorrent every day, and even more so during a public health crisis. Governor Cuomo must release our elders and sick, and stop the abuse of prison labor by increasing incarcerated peoples’ wages.”

Martin Garcia, Community Coordinator at Worth Rises stated, “Governor Cuomo should take immediate action to make all communication in New York’s prisons free so that families can check on the health and wellbeing of their loved ones inside and vice versa. Crises like the Coronavirus pandemic simply illustrate why the ability for families to communicate is so important every day.”

Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Candidate for New York State Assembly (AD-34) said, “This is a compounding crisis, a crisis of incarcerating elders who will end up dying in prison if we don’t release them. The Coronavirus will impact the vulnerable lives of our elders and immune-compromised people in prison. We demand that the governor release elders and those who are immune-compromised immediately. Queens demands that we have them home with their family, so that they can be safe and healthy. For the long-term, we must pass the Elder Parole Act and Fair and Timely Parole Act. When I’m elected to the state legislature, I will be a champion for this issue.”

On Monday, March 10th, Governor Cuomo announced that incarcerated people at Great Meadow Correctional Facility would produce hand sanitizer for New Yorkers across the state; a product they will likely be banned from using themselves. To date, Cuomo has not proposed or issued any orders to protect the health and well being of incarcerated New Yorkers who are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

Governor Cuomo has issued two clemencies to New Yorkers in prison in 2019 and 2020 combined, neither of which was given to older or sick incarcerated people. On February 18, 2020, President Trump issued four clemencies to people in federal prison, representing more commutations than Cuomo granted in the last two years. There are more than 10,000 older adults in the New York State prison system, including dozens who are confined in hospice units, units for the cognitively impaired, and regional medical units.

Jose Saldana, Director of the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign

Share

Filed Under: article, slideshow, Uncategorized Tagged With: Corona Virus, COVID-19, elder incarcerated, elder release, Prison COVID-19, prison health care, Virus

Attend our monthly meetings!

First Weds. of each month.
6:00-8:15 pm
See our events page for location
• Pizza, soda and meeting
• For more information: nyrappcampaign123@gmail.com

See Us on Social Media

CONTACT US

RAPP, 168 Canal St., 6th Fl., NY NY 10013; 631-885-3565; nyrappcampaign123@gmail.com

Blog Posts

  • Media Advisories, Press Releases, Briefings
  • Parole Justice is Racial Justice: Voices From Inside
  • Tell Gov. Cuomo: Release Aging People in Adirondack Prison

Copyright © 2021 by RAPP Campaign · info(AT)rappcampaign(DOT)com