What could be the largest prison protest in California’s history is entering its second day. Officials said yesterday that 30,000 inmates across the state have refused meals.
Inmates leading the protests have released a list of eight demands, starting with a limit on the amount of time prisoners can be held in isolation.
The protest has been planned for months by a small group of inmates who are held in segregation at Pelican Bay State Prison, a maximum security prison near the Oregon border.
Officials won’t acknowledge that a hunger strike is underway until inmates have missed nine meals in a row.
But they are already saying the numbers are bigger than a previous hunger strike in 2011, involving 6,000 prisoners across 12 prisons.
- Center for Investigative Reporting: Series on Pelican Bay State Prison
Guest:
- Michael Montgomery, reporter for the Center for Investigative Reporting and KQED in San Francisco. He tweets @MichaelMontCIR.
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