By WPRO News
Members of the Black Lives Matter Rhode Island group Monday called on state officials to move quickly to stem the spread of the coronavirus behind the walls of the state’s prison, urging the release of non-violent inmates where possible, and action plans.
The group spoke with reporters outside the maximum security prison in Cranston, where the Providence Journal reported more than 300 of the 354 inmates and more than 50 staff members tested positive for the virus as of December 4.
“We’re at capacity here in the state and people are dying,” said Mark Fisher of Black Lives Matter. “So, it’s not a hoax and it’s not going to go away. The negligence we see is almost unbelievable.”
A Department of Corrections spokesman denied there had been any deaths associated with coronavirus in the prison, according to the Providence Journal.
“We want those prisoners to be released, you know, non-violent ones,” said Black Lives Matter RI Director Gary Dantzler. “Let’s make a plan, an action plan to fix this immediately.”
