FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT:  SF Public Defender’s Office | Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org | (628)249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** Judge Rules California Department of Corrections Inflicted Cruel and Unusual Punishment on Incarcerated People at San Quentin During COVID-19 Pandemic Historic ruling comes nearly 18 months after a COVID outbreak claimed 29 lives, but offers little relief...Read More

On May 19, 2021, testimony began in an evidentiary hearing against San Quentin State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for their mishandling of a disastrous transfer of COVID-19-infected persons from the California Institution for Men to San Quentin, resulting in a massive outbreak and 29 deaths in the summer of...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2021 CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628) 249-7946 **PRESS RELEASE** San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak on Trial: Hearing Starts May 17 Weeks of Evidence and Testimony Expected Hundreds of incarcerated petitioners allege CDCR caused an explosive, deadly COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin constituting “cruel and unusual punishment”  ...Read More

DATE: May 10, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: San Francisco Public Defender’s Office – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org – (628)249-7946 **MEDIA ADVISORY** San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak on Trial: Hearing to Start May 17 Weeks of Evidence and Testimony Expected WHAT: An evidentiary hearing in the case against San Quentin State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)...Read More

August 17, 2020 PRESS CONTACT: SF Public Defender’s Office – (628) 249-7946 – Valerie.Ibarra@sfgov.org Petitioners Allege CDCR Purposefully Ignored Marin County Health Official Warnings about Dangers at San Quentin; Over 400 pages of Evidence Presented  Habeas petitions allege CDCR actions causing explosive and deadly Covid-19 outbreak at San Quentin constitute “cruel and unusual punishment”  SAN...Read More

Effort to Release People Incarcerated at San Quentin Moves Forward In Marin County Superior Court  Habeas petitions allege that California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation actions constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” as decisions led to an explosive and deadly Covid-19 outbreak at San Quentin  SAN FRANCISCO – A Marin County Superior Court judge has ordered the...Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – With 2,582 incarcerated persons with active cases of COVID-19 in California prisons statewide, and over 1,100 people incarcerated in San Quentin testing positive, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is mobilizing to free people as quickly as possible to prevent the continuing spread. The outbreak at San Quentin came after CDCR transferred...Read More