Trump has begun another trade war. Here's a timeline of how we got here
Canada's leader laments lost friendship with US in town that sheltered stranded Americans after 9/11
Chinese EV giant BYD's fourth-quarter profit leaps 73%
You're an American in another land? Prepare to talk about the why and how of Trump 2.0
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
Purdue returns to Sweet 16 with 76-62 win over McNeese in March Madness
Hundreds of incarcerated individuals at Salinas Valley State Prison started a hunger strike, protesting what they describe as unconstitutional collective punishment imposed through the most restrictive lockdown measures California prisons have implemented since the coronavirus pandemic.
The protest began one day after the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation imposed sweeping restrictions on approximately 34,000 prisoners across nearly two dozen state facilities on June 12. The department cited a recent increase in violence, drug overdoses, and contraband smuggling as justification for the emergency measures.
Under the current restrictions, prisoners must remain confined primarily to their cells or dormitories. The department has suspended all in-person visits, educational programming, telephone access, and electronic tablet communications. Only medical care and other essential services continue to operate, according to department officials.
In a formal letter obtained by CalMatters, striking prisoners at Salinas Valley characterized their action as a response to "persistent and unlawful practices by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the use of indiscriminate lockdowns, deprivation of rehabilitative and constitutional rights, and collective punishment of the incarcerated population."
The letter stated the protest stems from "our firm demand that [the corrections department] adhere to its obligations under the U.S. Constitution, California Penal Code, and Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations."
Brooke Terpstra, a member of the anti-prison advocacy group Oakland Abolition & Solidarity, estimated that more than 500 individuals are participating in the hunger strike. Terpstra predicted prisoners at other restricted facilities would join the protest.
Corrections Secretary Jeff Macomber defended the department's actions in a written statement, asserting officials have "an obligation to ensure public safety for staff, incarcerated individuals and the communities." Macomber acknowledged concerns from families and prisoners about the impact on rehabilitation programs and visitation rights.
The department released a statement detailing multiple armed assaults on staff members, attacks on prisoners, and several riots that occurred in the weeks preceding the lockdown. However, officials did not specify which facilities experienced these incidents.
Families of incarcerated individuals have condemned the restrictions as excessive collective punishment. Angel Torrez, whose father is imprisoned at Folsom State Prison, described the communication blackout as unbearable. "I wonder if he is safe and sound," Torrez said. He accused the department of engaging in "propaganda warfare" through "abstract, obtuse, and vague statements that are generated to keep families in the dark."
Legal experts criticized the department's approach as tantamount to solitary confinement. Warren Hands, supervising parole success advocate at UnCommon Law, a nonprofit organization, warned isolation exacerbates existing mental health and addiction issues among prisoners. "It is a very lonely space to be in," Hands said. "Addiction is real. Mental health issues are real. And they are exacerbated by these lockdowns."
Sharon Dolovich, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, questioned whether such broad restrictions are necessary to address security concerns. "This is a blunt instrument when they should be using a scalpel," Dolovich said.
California prisons previously implemented similar statewide restrictions from March 8 through April 11, affecting nearly a dozen facilities. During that lockdown period, at least three prisoners were killed, and one officer was reportedly attacked.
The department has not announced when the current restrictions will end. Corrections spokesperson Terri Hardy confirmed officials have established procedures to monitor and evaluate hunger strikes.
ALSO READ:
15,000 California convicts released during COVID-19; at least one-third are back in prison. Here’s why
California's cracking down on rising inmate violence
California prisons restrict movement, calls and visits as violence surges
