Reflections on COVID-19 and Decarceration

In the midst of the COVID-19 public health crisis, it’s important that our communities and legislators have conversations about the release of people incarcerated and in immigration detention centers in Massachusetts to reduce the spread of the virus. We’re so glad that Jane Doe Inc. and others are talking about this. Places where people live in close quarters, such as nursing homes and prisons, are places where the coronavirus can spread easily. It is a matter of basic public health to do all that is possible to contain the virus. 

In considering the potential release of some people who are incarcerated, we urge that decisions are made in a way that is survivor-centered. This means supporting survivors in the community who may be affected by people being released from prison. Their safety must be taken into account as release is assessed, and there must be direct communication with those survivors. We also need to support survivors who are incarcerated and may be released, which means assistance in transitioning to their communities safely with the resources and connections they need. 

We also urge that these decisions consider the impact that racism plays in our criminal-legal, health, and immigration enforcement systems. Black and Latinx people are incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates than their white peers. They also experience disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 infections and fatalities. To date, the state has focused on reducing the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities whose residents are disproportionately white, such as nursing homes and other care facilities. It must do the same for other institutions where residents are disproportionately people of color. And as people are returned to their communities, they must be supported in meeting their basic needs for food, housing, and health care.