Called into action by the catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak inside the San Quintín state prison, protesters spread almost along the village’s main street to the prison gates on Sunday.
Hundreds of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, interfaith religious groups, family members of inmates and former prisoners filled the picturesque Marin County neighborhood. They held signs of protest, cheers, and chants as leaders addressed the crowd with demands directed at Governor Gavin Newsom and Ralph Diaz, head of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
As recently as last month, the prison reported zero cases of coronavirus among its incarcerated population. However, that changed after 121 men were transferred to San Quentin in late May from the California Institution for Men in Chino, the site of the deadliest outbreak in the prison system.
By Sunday afternoon, 871 prisoners and 89 staff members were confirmed to be infected, according to the state’s web tracker. The count increased in 258 cases since Saturday.
“This is not just incompetence,” said Emile DeWeaver, who spent 21 years in prison, including seven in San Quentin. “It’s about power, who has it and how they choose to exercise it.”
DeWeaver, who had his 67-year prison sentence commuted by the then-governor. Jerry Brown in 2017 provoked thunderous reactions from the crowd by explaining how people could regain power and the detailed demands that should be made to the Governor and CDCR Secretary.
Among the demands, the protesters asked Newsom to grant mass clemency and release the prisoners, asked CDCR to stop collaborating with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service, and called for an end to transfers between prisons during the pandemic.
Neither the Governor’s Office nor the CDCR responded to requests for comment on Sunday’s demands. A day earlier, the transfer of inmates from San Quentin to a prison in the Bakersfield area was halted after two tested positive.
That’s a start, but not enough, according to protesters, who paused for two hours multiple times to peacefully move people, banners, microphones, and speakers off the street to allow prison workers to walk through the doors. .
Movement is not so easy within San Quintín, where the more than 3,600 inmates represent more than 100% of the designed capacity.
“They are not free to wash their hands, use soap, or distance themselves socially,” said the Rev. Deb Lee, who used to teach tai chi in prison. “This is taking away their dignity.”
With people holding signs like “Beware, No Cages” and “Can’t Get Better in a Cell”, a series of speakers turned to microphones in front of the crowd. Some chants led, with the leader saying, “Release them,” and the crowd answering “everyone” or “now.”
Others led the crowd to silence while sharing candid stories. Shawanda Scott of Oakland, who identified herself as “Mama Bear,” told the crowd that her son was locked behind the doors that made the backdrop for his emotional speech.
“My son will be mad at me, because I’m cursing, but I’m not f-,” he said, before passing his message on to CDCR. “He let him go. I can take care of my son. You have shown that you cannot.
Organizers of the rally gave the phone numbers for Newsom and Diaz and encouraged the crowd to call them every other day until all demands are met.
The groups are also calling for adequate tests of the coronavirus for inmates and prison staff and that the staff be regulated to work in only part of the prison to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to the published demands of the incarcerated community, they are also asking for free personal protective equipment, hygiene products and essential goods until the end of the pandemic. With visits suspended for three months, they are requesting free tele-visits.
Rusty Simmons is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron
