COVID-19: A CASE STUDY ON CDCR'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

CDCR’s initial response to COVID-19 was slow, followed by a series of missteps. Most notably, in June 2020, CDCR transferred 121 COVID19 infected individuals to San Quentin State Prison (SQSP). This transfer led to the notorious San Quentin Outbreak, where 75% of the prison population became infected. The massive outbreak quickly became the largest COVID-19 outbreak in any U.S. prison. Not only were people inside the prison affected but also the surrounding communities, as half of the beds in local hospitals were filled with patients from SQSP

Shortly after, hundreds of incarcerated people in SQSP filed habeas corpus petitions seeking release and other remedies. Judges responded to these requests by approving transfers rather than releases, ultimately putting incarcerated people at further risk of infection. In November 2021, a Marin Court Superior Judge ruled that CDCR had inflicted cruel and unusual punishment on people incarcerated in SQSP for failing to keep them safe. Unfortunately, this was too little too late The ruling did not mandate releases or other remedies, and came months after releases were made available to the general incarcerated population.

As of April 2023, CDCR has reported 260 COVID-19 deaths. Some speculate that prisons across the country underreported COVID-19 deaths as some people were either released before passing away and or their death was attributed to other causes. Former Ella Baker Inside Fellow, Steve Brooks, who is currently incarcerated in SQSP, suspects that the deaths from Long COVID-19 are not counted among COVID-related deaths. The inability of CDCR to keep incarcerated people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about concerns that the agency is not prepared to respond to any emergency, including climate hazards.

Steve Brooks, Former EBC Inside Fellow at San Quentin State Prison