A car caravan protest made its way through the Bay Area on Sunday, demanding the early release of thousands of elderly prisoners amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 100 cars lined up at the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park near the Port of Oakland.
Matt Boone/KCBS Radio
Organizers said they are worried about the current spread of COVID-19 in California’s prison system, which, like the rest of the state, has seen a massive surge over the past month.
“There have been 192 deaths to date, the average age of those who died is 63-years-old,” Organizer Courtney Morris said.
Also there was Audrey Candycorn, who lost her 17-year-old son in a shooting 5 years ago, but said she still believes people can be rehabilitated and don’t deserve to die in prison.
“I’m not saying let rapists out and people [who] beat children or women,” she told KCBS Radio. “I’m talking about [releasing] elders.”
Matt Boone/KCBS Radio
In a statement, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said it takes the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously and will continuously adjust its response as new information and situations arise.
So far, expedited releases have been given to more than 18,000 prisoners since the pandemic began.
