COMMENTARY: Worsening conditions in prisons during COVID-19 further marginalize criminalized women
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Before COVID-19, people in prison expressed how difficult it was to maintain connections with their children, families and communities, and to access health care, education and meaningful training. All of this negatively affects transition back to community.
COVID-19 has worsened living conditions inside prisons, which CSC describes as “the new normal.”
In response to COVID-19, CSC modified or suspended many aspects of its operations- including visits and volunteer support. Legal scholar Debra Parkes and Senator Kim Pate noted issues with accountability and oversight years before the pandemic. The new restrictions allow for less accountability and more isolation than we have seen in decades.
Volunteer groups already experienced access barriers. They have yet to regain entry since March 2020.
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