“Prisoners are an often forgotten part of the public, and prisons are a public health disaster. Now is the time to decarcerate for good. Reducing the population behind bars is a first step to protecting prisoners from COVID-19, and supports creating alternatives to prison in the long term,” writes Martha Paynter.
Kendall Worth wrote an open letter to Premier Stephen McNeil and ministers Kelly Regan and Randy Delorey, about the many pressures people on income assistance face, and some great suggestions on what to do about it.
Some lucky people get to work from home while low paid workers are expected to risk their and everybody’s health, until they’re laid off and face hunger and homelessness. Judy Haiven has some suggestions on what to do about it.
Open letter: At this time the only adequate defence to the spread of COVID-19 inside our jails, and consequent preventable deaths, is strategic decarceration — i.e., ensuring that admissions and numbers of prisoners held in facilities are as low as possible, consistent with public safety.
Kendall meets up with people on social assistance to talk about how they are affected by the COVID-19 virus.
Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education with a membership of almost 17,300 parents, grandparents and care givers of students in the Province, would like to express our support for the decision to close Nova Scotia Public Schools during this difficult and unprecedented time in the province in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this terrifying time we are deeply worried about folks inside. WWW and all volunteer orgs have had our access to provincial facilities suspended completely and indefinitely. The prisoners may only have non-contact visits and 2 free phone calls per week. No action has yet been taken to reduce the burden through temporary releases, etc.
East Coast Prison Justice Society, Elizabeth Fry Societies (NS Mainland and Cape Breton), Women’s Wellness Within, and the NS Prisoners’ Health Coalition co-wrote the following letter.
The need for all to engage in social distancing reveals a conflict of interest between corporate profit and doing the right thing, writes Judy Haiven.
Judy Haiven surveys some of the latest developments around the Corona virus, and offers some observations on Covid-19 and poverty, the status of healthcare in the province, and the urgent need for communities to engage in mutual care.
Preparing for cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre is calling for paid sick leave for all employees along with legislation to prohibit employers from requesting doctors’ notes to confirm absences due to illness.