Family and friends show support for Lompoc Prison inmates at rally
and last updated 2021-02-22 02:03:49-05
Family, friends and community members are letting Lompoc Federal Prison inmates know they are loved. Love Your Inmate, a local coalition that provides support for inmates and their families, held a rally at Ryon Park in Lompoc which is near prison grounds.
Representatives from Congressman Salud Carbajal s office, the Lompoc Prison Task Force and local clergy spoke at the event.
Inmate supporters said they hope to bring attention to what they call an inadequate response of the Covid-19 outbreak at the prison. We want to let [prisoners and their families] know that they re not forgotten. They don t have much of a voice, so it s really important for those of us who do to use that voice to make sure that their concerns are addressed, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Barbara representative Tanya Hyde said.
Lompoc prison officials release 44 inmates to home confinement; more than 120 deemed eligible santamariatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from santamariatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
More than two dozen inmates and staff at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past month, according to Bureau of Prisons data released Thursday.Â
The cases include 25 inmates and three staff at the medium-security U.S. Penitentiary who were reported to be infected with the coronavirus, as noted on the agency s website, which tracks active cases.Â
Lompoc prison officials notified Santa Barbara County health officials about the outbreak on Dec. 8 and promptly instituted testing and infection control measures, according to Paige Batson, deputy director for the county Public Health Department.
The outbreak comes more than six months after a surge in coronavirus cases infected more than 900 inmates and staff at the Federal Correctional Institution earlier in the year. Four Lompoc inmates have died from the disease.Â