Senate News
A.S UCSB Solidarity Statement for FCI and USP Lompoc incarcerated individuals during COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on COVID-19 and increased uncertainty in local (as well as global) communities, the impact of the pandemic has- and continues to be- heightened in marginalized communities. This includes incarcerated individuals, who are uniquely subject to institutional powers. Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) would like to formally acknowledge the disproportionate impact faced by the individuals within the FCI and USP Lompoc prison systems.
First, Associated Students would like to acknowledge that FCI and USP Lompoc are epicenters of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County. The unprecedented growth in cases were preventable, and could have been, had better management been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Warden of Lompoc, as well as Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart. As an operating institution ourselves, we denounce the actions that neglected the prevention of COVID-19 spread into incarcerated communities such as providing adequate PPE, isolating those who are infected, and taking measures to prevent unnecessary deaths of incarcerated individuals. Associated Students additionally condemns the actions by aforementioned parties that eliminated communication measures, connections with outside resources, and lack of proper sanitary measures to the incarcerated individuals of FCI and USP Lompoc.
Second, Associated Students at UCSB stand in solidarity with the incarcerated population at Lompoc and recognize the mismanagement that puts them at risk; Additionally, Associated Students supports the lawsuit by The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California (ACLU), the Prison Law Office, as well as law firm Bird Marella that was presented Saturday, May 16th in the U.S District Court in Los Angeles, on behalf of those incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institutions in Lompoc (as well as Terminal Island).
Accordingly, Associated Students Senate at UCSB call to action against the mistreatment of the incarcerated population at FCI and USP Lompoc: Office of External Vice President of Local Affairs and UCSB Lobby Corps, who will contact county leadership and other individuals/institutions/organizations (including those at UCSB to work in tandem with) to address this issue. We emphasize that we will support every effort in doing so, and that we will provide any resources we can for this issue.
Signed,
The 71st A.S. UCSB Senate
May 28, 2020 statement
