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Notorious San Quentin Prison California must halve to corona | Abroad

San Quentin, known for the eponymous song by iconic American singer Johnny Cash and his performance there (’San Quentin, what good do you think you do?’), seemed free from the corona virus in the spring, but was still hit hard in July.

According to a recent census, San Quentin has a total of 2,239 known cases of infection. 28 of the prisoners with Covid-19 died. The number of cases decreased again in late summer. In the last two weeks, only one inmate was infected.

The entrance to the infamous San Quentin Prison, California's oldest prison.

The entrance to the infamous San Quentin Prison, California’s oldest prison.

No corona measures

Inmate Ivan Von Staich, who is in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s husband in 1986, sued the prison in May. Von Staich argued that the management had violated his fundamental right not to be cruelly or unusually punished by locking him up in an environment where he could not keep his distance and where there were no other precautions.

The judge ruled that the murderer had to be transferred immediately. In addition, the prison management was instructed to allow ‘sufficient distance’ by releasing or transferring half of the prisoners.

Disagree

The California Prison Service disagrees with the ruling and is considering next steps. The government department points to the low number of new infections recently and says it has taken measures to prevent the spread of the lung virus.

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