Black Lives Matter to Protest at ACI Over Treatment of Prisoners During Coronavirus Pandemic

Black Lives Matter to Protest at ACI Over Treatment of Prisoners During Coronavirus Pandemic

Black Lives Matter Rhode Island will be at the ACI in Cranston Monday morning at 11 AM to protest over what they say has been the “lack of humane treatment" of prisoners with COVID-19. 

As GoLocal reported, in November, the ACI had 53 new cases in Maximum security, according to the spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and the Department of Corrections had as many as 90 new cases for the week, according to two sources with direct knowledge.

Now, Rhode Island is the state with the highest infection rate — in the entire country. 

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BLM on Record

“We demand that the Department of Corrections develop a safety strategy or an isolation plan to stop the spread of the coronavirus that is ravaging the inmate population,” said BLM RI — which is led by Brother Gary Dantzler — in a statement. 

“This is a maximum security prison where people are dying because there’s no protocol in place to stop the spread. The usual suspects are the target of this wild negligence, black and brown people. Those with existing preconditions are at even greater risk of fatality. Injustice and inequality have no days off and neither should we,” they continue. 

“All who can come join us to help protest this lack of humane treatment for those who can’t do it,” they added. “This is a state of emergency.”