THREAD

It's been a week since the SJC #COVID19 decision.

IT'S GOING TERRIBLY

FAR too many people are still locked up.

MCI-F's infection rate is higher than Rikers.

Cases are spiking. People will die.

Here's a spotlight on Essex County ghouls @DAJonBlodgett & @EssexSheriff:

Yesterday there were 60 'presumptive release' hearings in Essex County district courts.

Among this subset of people held pretrial who 3 judges were supposed to presume to RELEASE, just 22 were freed

63% stayed in jail after hearings

Judge Howard-Hogan only released 4 out of 20

Defense attorneys get two minutes - timed - to argue for someone's pretrial liberty.

The person's alternative is staring down a highly infectious, potentially deadly disease in an unhygienic environment that prohibits social distance, proper sanitation & handwashing, and masks.

28 people in the Middleton jail have now tested #COVIDー19 positive.

That's up from 13 yesterday.

The count *more than DOUBLED* within ONE DAY, TWO DAYS IN A ROW.

https://twitter.com/SNJulieManganis/status/1248741257846886402?s=20

The @EssexSheriff has an established pattern of cover ups, brutality, abuse & neglect against folks seeking medical care, documented by @christinesea & @HealyBeth for @WBUR.

In court filings, he says his jail provides "life-sustaining necessities" . . . https://twitter.com/CourtWatchMA/status/1243127208421531649?s=20

Essex County @DAJonBlodgett has a horrifying record on dangerousness hearings - the most requests for #dangerousdetention for people presumed innocent statewide.

The urgent threat of #COVIDー19 to incarcerated people has not changed this AT ALL.

Potential pretrial death penalty

Let's compare New Jersey to what's been happening in Massachusetts.

In NJ, between March 9 and March 30, the jail population dropped 23%.

2058 people freed.

In MA, between March 9 and March 30, the jail population dropped 9%.

783 people freed.

MORE ACTION REQUIRED