Voices of San Quentin
The California Department of Corrections exacerbated the virus by transferring 121 people from the California Institution for Men, a Covid-19 “hotspot” facing over 500 confirmed cases and 15 deaths, to the previously untouched San Quentin State Prison. The transfers have already killed six men in the notorious facility and infected over a third of the prison’s population. Further transfers from San Quentin to Susanville–California Correctional Center (CCC) and High Desert State Prison (HDSP) caused even more spikes in cases. Now the incarcerated community at San Quentin faces a deadly outbreak that experts argue now threatens to overwhelm not only Marin County hospitals but the entire State. University of California San Francisco infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong labeled San Quentin "the Chernobyl of COVID." in a NBC news interview.
Incarcerated people vividly recount how the physical environment of the state's oldest prison and the willful neglect of state officials and guards facilitated the rapid spread of the deadly virus. Two men sleep in each tiny 4’x9’ cell with only towels to protect themselves. An anonymous man incarcerated at San Quentin revealed the horrific conditions inside and implored officials for help in this video made with an illicit cell phone and notebook paper.
Testimonies from men currently and formerly incarcerated at San Quentin and their advocates reveal the human cost of the dehumanizing, filthy, and ultimately deadly conditions in the prison. Incarcerated people are forced to clean infected areas or face severe punishment, in conditions comporable to slavery. One hospital worker who spoke to Voices of San Quentin has been incarcerated for 19 years since he was 16 years old. He was punished with a citation, which threatens his chances of parole, for speaking out.
Former San Quentin prisoner and Cambodian refugee Chanthon Bun was released on July 1st 2020 after years of advocacy. Before his release, he came down with the virus. He shared details about his experience with Voices of San Quentin.
“Right now in San Quentin, the conditions are horrible. Everybody's getting sick. Everybody's catching COVID. And they're not really doing anything to stop the spreading in there. They're not giving you supplies to clean your cell with. It's easy to spread there because we're an open environment. There's no room for six foot distance at all.”
In a disturbing echo of the institution’s racist history, COVID patients were first sentenced to solitary confinement in the prison’s notorious “adjustment center” where George Jackson once resided. When its 105 beds filled up after few days, they began to move men to the Badger section. Ella Baker Center organizer James King described conditions there as similar to those in solitary confinement cells. Food arrived cold because the cells are not designed to be accessible and incarcerated people lack access to basic necessities like electricity.
“You're not allowed to purchase things or have property really and buy property or personal items, things like a television or a radio or a hot pot. So there's no “reason” to have electrical outlets in those cells. They're designed for people to stay in them for less than 90 days.”
Despite the threat of brutal reprisal from prison officials, over 20 men incarcerated in the Badger unit initiated a hunger strike in protest of worsening conditions on June 28th. Even this brave action did not improve conditions. Voices of San Quentin reported "In Badger, Donner, Alpine and Carson units, the plumbing is old and toilets are not working. People are urinating and defecating in plastic bags."
These videos and quotations were provided by Voices of San Quentin, which shares these stories alongside an action toolkit to demand public officials grant mass releases now to stop the spread of the virus and save lives. On June 16th, the #StopSanQuentinOutbreak campaign released a list of demands from the incarcerated community urging the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and Governor Newsom to grant mass releases and improve the conditions inside during the pandemic. The demands address the immediate necessities of mass releases, universal testing, ending transfers, and improving conditions. As the death toll grows higher, incarcerated people are now asking the Governor to tour the prison and witness the horrific conditions himself.
As of July 9th, Newsom agreed to reduce the prison’s population from 3,482 to 3,076, just over its technical capacity, within the next few weeks by expediting releases of people within six months of their release date. However, advocates argue this cautious strategy will not stop the spread of the virus and will still result in more preventable deaths. They continue to advocate for immediate mass releases of all incarcerated people.
2020-06-04 An incarcerated hospital worker who tested positive for COVID after being forced to clean infected areas describes the conditions of his labor. Courtesy of Voices of San Quentin
2020-06-06 Chanthon Bun tested positive for Covid-19 and describes how the overcrowded open enviornment and poorly ventilated conditions of the prison facilitated the rapid spread of the virus. Courtesy of Voices of San Quentin
2020-06-05 Bun describes the overcrowded environment at San Quentin, where social distancing is physically impossible. He says Badger unit is now “packed” which is why they are keeping people in their cells and says that officers are “indifferent.” Courtesy of Voices of San Quentin
2020-06-03 Ella Baker Center organizer James King describes the conditions in the Badger Unit which incited a strike. Courtesy of Voices of San Quentin
2020-06-06 Despite his own diagnosis, Bun fears for his former cellmate who is in his 60s and the aging population of the prison. Here he describes the desperate attempts of elderly incarcerated people to protect themselves. Courtesy of Voices of San Quentin