Inside Wisconsin's prisons, reform advocates say many of the state's roughly 24,000 inmates are at risk.
PEOPLE ORGANIZING"It's a scary, scary time."REFORM ADCOVATESSAY THE STATE'S 24-THOUSAND INMATES..ARE AT RISK.JEROME DILLARD, EX-INCARCERATEDPEOPLE ORGANIZING"It gives them tremendousexposure to any outbreakwhen you're bunked likethat."HERE AT OSHKOSHCORRECTIONAL..THREE INMATES HAVETESTED POSITIVE FORCORONAVIRUS.THE DEPARTMENT OFCORRECTIONSWEBSITE SHOWS TWOOTHER INMATES HAVETESTED POSITIVE ATCOLUMBIACORRECTIONAL.NINE STAFF MEMBERSHAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE ACROSS THESTATE.TIM MUTH, ACLU OFWISCONSIN STAFFATTORNEY"As the virus gets insidethe prisons it will explodeexponentially."TODAY THE AMERICANCIVIL LIBERTIESUNION OF WISCONSINFILED A LAWSUIT TOTHE STATE'SSUPREME COURT TOREDUCE THE PRISONPOPULATION.TIM MUTH, ACLU OFWISCONSIN STAFFATTORNEY"You've got to startimmediately."THE ACLU ASKED THESTATE TO RELEASEELDERLY ANDMEDICALLY-VULNERABLEINMATES..AN EFFORTTO GIVE OTHERINMATES MORESPACE.TODAY..GOVERNOREVERS' CHIEF LEGALCOUNCIL SAID THEYWILL RESPOND TOTHE LAWSUIT..ANDHIGHLIGHTEDMEASURES ALREADYIN PLACE..RYAN NILSESTUEN,CHIEF LEGAL COUNSELFOR GOVERNOR TONYEVERS"It's something that we'vefocused on since the verybeginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic."THE STATE HASLOWERED CRIMELESSREVOCATIONS TOKEEP THE PRISONPOPULATIONDOWN..EMPLOYEESARE SCREENED WHENTHEY COME TOWORK..ANYQUARANTINEMEASURES ARE INPLACE..RYAN NILSESTUEN,CHIEF LEGAL COUNSELFOR GOVERNOR TONYEVERS"We've done a lot of goodwork to keep the numberof people who do haveCOVID-19 who are eitherincarcerated or work in thecorrectional institutionshas been able to be keptto a fairly small number todate."..A NUMBER THEY ANDADVOCATES WILLWATCH CLOSELY..INTHE DAYS AND WEEKSAHEAD.MATT JARCHOW,NB26..DOCTORS AREREMINDINGPARENTS... HOW
Prison reform advocates rallied from inside cars for inmates vulnerable to COVID-19.
