Today (August 13, 2021), the CA Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) released a post on Instagram stating the #DixieFire situation at CCC and HDSP is under control, but CCC Loved Ones who have reached out to CURB are reporting extremely dangerous and troubling conditions at the prison due to the encroaching fire, the largest single fire in CA history.
Our coalition to #CloseCAPrisons demands an immediate, escalated fire safety response from CDCR, including an emergency evacuation plan that prioritizes incarcerated people at CCC in Susanville and all other surrounding areas.
CCC in Susanville is slated for closure by June 2022. However, the city of Susanville filed a lawsuit against @cagovernor and @cacorrections citing environmental CEQA codes, which conservatives have been weaponizing across California to impede progressive goals.Using an environmental argument to keep a prison open is laughable. Currently, the U.S. AQI (Air Quality Index) rates the air quality in Susanville as “Beyond the Index,” meaning quite literally that the hazardous air pollution level in the area is off the charts. Prisons are often sites of environmental disasters (read: The People’s Plan for Prison Closure). The #DixieFires only underlines why it’s vital to #CloseCAPrisons in the interest of public safety and environmental justice.Details of the supposed emergency evacuation plans or safety protocols are unclear. We need regular updates related to the #DixieFire. Families are being left in the dark with zero access to crucial information about the health of their loved ones.
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THE TRUTH: Loved ones being cut off from communications because the phones are located outdoors. CCC is in full lockdown mode.
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THE TRUTH: An end to video visits. Some family members report that they have not been able to contact their loved ones for 10+ days.
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THE TRUTH: Prisons are toxic. Prisons are environmental hazards. We need a People’s Plan for Prison Closure that ensures these dangerous sites of harm and violence are torn down and people caged within them brought home to their families. #CloseCCC#ShutItDown
It’s time to demand ACTION. Send a letter to CDCR Administrators demanding:
- An immediate, escalated fire safety response. The health of incarcerated people is in jeopardy from negligent treatment in substandard conditions.
- An end to the information black out. Lines of communication with impacted families MUST be re-established.
- A competent, safe and emergency evacuation plan that’s shared with the public and prioritizes people trapped in cages across Lassen County and surrounding areas.