Thread by @ScottHech

WITNESS: What's happened to Cassandra in Chicago is the story of the indifference of jails throughout U.S. Back in April she called 132x to save her husband from COVID in jail. Ignored. He died. Demanding change since. Ignored. More caged now than when he died. This is her voice:

Cassandra has been fighting since April. 8 months later: No masks. Crowded. Coughing. Ignored. Same indifference that's infecting and killing thousands in jails/prisons across the country. Now working to decarcerate & protect public health w/the Coalition to @EndMoneyBond.

As of yesterday, 5524 people were incarcerated in Chicago jail in unsanitary conditions. Unable to socially distance. The number of people caged in Chicago jail who are currently confirmed positive for COVID-19 has more than tripled, from 75 on November 9 to 350 on December 7.

There were more people confirmed positive for COVID in Cook County Jail yesterday than at the height of spring infections. On November 16th, 85 year-old Harold Graszer became the 8th person to die of COVID-19 while in the custody of Cook County Jail.
chicagobond.org/2020/11/17/eig…

Cassandra teamed w/ local artists to create 132Calls.com, a 3-part series featuring her voice & account of efforts to save her husband. This is part 2. Comes at a time when the numbers incarcerated are back to pre-pandemic levels. They're still ignoring her. Act here:

Cassandra: “My husband’s death could have been prevented, but the Cook County Sheriff’s Office failed to do the bare minimum to keep people inside its jail safe during this pandemic. We cant allow another life lost. I hope people watch this film, hear our story, & take action."

Nickolas Lee is just one of thousands of people in Chicago and hundreds of thousands across the country who have been & are being infected with and dying not just from COVID, but from institutional indifference inside of US jails and prisons.

Hundreds of thousands of people in jails & prisons around the country have been infected by COVID & thousands have died. Officials have either done nothing or too little to make any difference despite calls from family, advocates, & medical professionals. nytimes.com/interactive/20…

SAVE LIVES. TAKE ACTION. CALL FOR CHANGE. You can demand leaders take action by visiting the Coalition to @EndMoneyBond and calling leaders directly: chicagobond.org/2020/11/16/as-…

YOU CAN ALSO JOIN CASSANDRA. Every Sunday at Noon, Cassandra protests out in front of the Cook County Jail in Chicago. She would love your support: facebook.com/events/9076466…

Here is Part 1 of the 132 Calls series. “Morning didn’t come for my husband.” Please watch and share. And then take action here: 132Calls.com

And if you made it this far, but didn’t watch the first video on the first tweet of the thread: It’s part 2 of the series. Please watch and share. Part 3 out by December 20. Artists currently drawing.