The Equal Justice Initiative (August 2020) reports that the coronavirus infects incarcerated people at a rate more than five times higher than the nation's overall rate. The death rate of inmates being at 39 deaths per 100,000 in comparison to the national rate of 29 deaths per 100,000, meaning nearly 160,000 incarcerated people and staff have been infected with coronavirus, and at least 1,002 have died.
Indigo Radio speaks with Kirk James, a Vermont resident, who was recently released, and Julian Andrew Johnson, who is presently incarcerated in a Maryland prison.
Listen as the two guests share their experiences within the prison industrial complex, the state of prisons during the COVID19 pandemic, and their thoughts around defunding the police and ending the U.S. carceral system.
