Morgan Simon writes:

At a time when across the country, states are limiting gatherings of over 250 people and those who can are choosing to self-quarantine, there’s one place where millions of people are involuntarily gathered in close proximity — our nation’s prisons and immigrant detention centers.

An epidemiologist at Brown University has recommended that the United States could release close to 44,000 detained immigrants who are being held for civil, not criminal, infractions. This would not only prevent the ability of COVID-19 to spread as quickly, but also save critical government resources at a time when we need every dollar we can get to fight the spread of the disease.

Organizations like the ACLU and Critical Resistance are also calling for the release of high-risk populations like immigrants who are pregnant or over 60 years old from a GEO Group facility — the latest in a year of complaints against private prison companies from investors and activists alike concerned about immigrant detention.

GEO Group released a statement on March 13 noting they do not have any coronavirus cases identified yet, and have action plans in place that include discussing with government officials the idea of reducing “non-essential” visitation. The question of the release of high-risk populations was not specifically referenced in the statement nor in a request for comment.

Then more broadly, with over 2 million people incarcerated, and another 5 million under some form of correctional control, it’s a good time to address exactly why it is that America is infamous for locking up the greatest percentage of its citizens of any country on earth. It’s important to note that close to half of the federal prison population, 45.4%, to be exact, is currently there for drug violations. If we just look at cannabis — considered a recreational or medicinal plant in 33 states and DC, and a controlled substance in 17 states — there are 40,000 people across the country being held for possessing or distributing marijuana. In those 33 states, possessing 2.5 pounds of cannabis likely means you’re an entrepreneur, a healthcare provider, or simply the life of the party. In states like Louisiana, it could mean a 10-year prison sentence.

If we legalized marijuana nationally — effective this week — and provided a pathway home for people being held on cannabis-related charges, we could reduce the prison population by 40,000 nationally. And if we did it with the type of social equity provisions that have been piloted in cities like Oakland, and are being promoted in the proposed New York legislation, we would also provide a pathway to quality jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for thousands of people. [Continue reading…]