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Why Are There So Many Coronavirus Cases In The Terminal Island Prison?
Prisoners' relatives rallied at Terminal Island on May 8 calling for more action to protect inmates from the virus. (Emily Elena Dugdale/LAist).
Coronavirus has torn through the low-security federal prison at Terminal Island in San Pedro. Nearly 700 inmates have tested positive at the facility, which specializes in holding people who need long-term medical or mental health care.
Some inmates' relatives want to know why things have gotten so bad at the prison, which is designed to hold just under 800 people but has more than 1,000.
A lawsuit claims prison officials "deliberate indifference" to inmates' safety is at least partly to blame.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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