➤ VULNERABLE FOLKS, from p.14
At a separate presser, Cuomo
announced he would consider
granting clemency to certain incarcerated
individuals, but additional
details were not provided
and a spokesperson for the governor
did not return requests for
further information about that on
March 23.
In the meantime, inmates at
Rikers have begun to take actions
of their own to push back against
offi cial inaction on the coronavirus
risk. At least 45 inmates are refusing
to leave their dorms for work
duties or meals, citing the lack of
personal protective equipment and
cleaning supplies for inmates as
well as their crowded living conditions
— which are at odds with the
social distancing taking place on
the outside. The inmates are demanding
that all folks be released
if they are over 50, are at high risk
due to health conditions, or are
sentenced to less than one year.
The COVID-19 crisis has also
taken a toll on homeless communities
throughout the fi ve boroughs
and beyond. Many non-profi t organizations
Incarcerated individuals at Rikers Island have started protesting in an effort to shed light on the immediate
need to release vulnerable populations at risk of coronavirus.
accustomed to providing
in-person services are now limited
in their ability to assist homeless
folks who continue to face housing
insecurity and other dire circumstances.
The further marginalization
of those populations could
leave them at increased risk of contracting
coronavirus.
VOCAL-NY, Communities United
REUTERS/ SHANNON STAPLETON
for Police Reform, Neighbors
Together, human.nyc, Picture the
Homeless, and Safety Net Activists
at the Urban Justice Center
offered specifi c recommendations
in an open letter to Cuomo and de
Blasio: Immediately provide services
to folks living on the street;
stop law enforcement sweeps, diversion,
and targeting homeless
people; offer fresh, healthy, nutritious
food; utilize hotels by offering
single rooms to homeless New
Yorkers on the street and to shelter
residents who live in multi-tenant
dormitory settings; provide access
to necessary healthcare services;
and more.
“Homeless people are human beings:
they are our family, friends,
neighbors, and co-workers,” the
joint letter stated. “Their lives are
not disposable and their needs
must be addressed with the same
urgency and compassion as those
who have housing… In the coming
days, the city and state must
take action to address immediate
needs of homeless New Yorkers, or
risk mass infection and lives lost
throughout the community.”
The public discussion surrounding
the plight of vulnerable populations
will continue in the coming
days when VOCAL-NY joins the
Release Aging People in Prison
Campaign, which organizes action
to assist incarcerated seniors,
for a statewide virtual forum on
COVID-19 and incarceration on
March 25 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Register at tinyurl.comuo7fxf3.
Colon (large intestine)
cancer is the number 2 cancer
killer in New York City. Ask
your doctor about screening
options today. Screening may
start with a colonoscopy or a
simple stool-based test.
For more information about
colon cancer, call 311 or visit
nyc.gov/health.
“I’m alive because I wasn’t afraid to ask.” 45 OR OLDER?
ASK ABOUT COLON
CANCER SCREENING.
GayCityNews.com | March 26 - April 08, 2020 15
/tinyurl.com
/health
/GayCityNews.com
