By Sara Chitseko:
The 4FRONT Project have joined a strong coalition of charities, grassroots organisations and individuals in calling on the government to take decisive steps to save lives during the coronavirus crisis. The letter, initiated by INQUEST and Women in Prison, rightly explains:
"The biggest risk the public is now facing is the battle against COVID-19 and the capacity of health services to meet escalating demand. While the prison service is making plans to store the bodies of prisoners who will die in the coming months, a clear alternative exists: drastically reduce the prison population and save lives both in and outside of prison. A failure to act, and release people now, will result in an increased risk to us all."
(Coles and Paradine, 2020)
The letter has received over 150 signatories. You can read the full statement on the INQUEST website here.
References:
INQUEST, 2020. NEWS: Over 100 Signatories Call On Government To Immediately Reduce Number Of People In Detention Settings. [online] Inquest. Available at: <https://www.inquest.org.uk/covid-19-letter> [Accessed 31 March 2020].