ACTION ALERT! On Monday, we asked the LA Dept. of Health (LDH) to take leadership in addressing the growing prison pandemic across Louisiana's 140 federal, state, and private facilities. 1/

On Wednesday, Dr. Jimmy Guidry, the State Health Officer (LDH's top medical official), issued CDC-based recommendations to the DOC under his exclusive legal authority. They apply to roughly 70K people living in crowded cells w/ no masks, gloves, or hand sanitizer. 2/

Yesterday, LDH’s Interim Dir. Stephen Russo rescinded Dr. Guidry’s recommendations in full, effective immediately. Russo has no medical training & no expertise in containing pandemics. Public health officers as the vested with the powers to oversee viral outbreaks, not attorneys.

Please call & email Interim Dir. Stephen Russo and demand that he reinstate Dr. Guidry's recommendations: 225-342-9500; [email protected]. We need our elders and children and chronically ill loved ones home NOW! 4/4

#FreeThemAll4PublicHealth #stopcovid19inprisons #COVID