therealnews--2020-04-03--Slave Labor, Dire Conditions: A TRNN Update On Prisons And COVID-19

Eddie Conway talks to journalists Kim Kelly and Adryan Corcione about how the coronavirus pandemic is exposing the poor healthcare @ @ @ @ @ jails .

Eddie Conway talks to journalists Kim Kelly and Adryan Corcione about how the coronavirus pandemic is exposing the poor healthcare system in US prisons and jails.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Eddie Conway: I’m Eddie Conway. Welcome to this episode of Rattling the Bars. We have been following the state of prisons across the nation and the conditions of prisoners that’s at risk as a result of COVID-19. It’s important to point out here that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and many of the people locked up in the US would simply not be incarcerated if they were in other industrialized nations. Here to look at the unfolding developments inside the US penal facilities during this public crisis is Kim Kelly and to give us an update on what’s going on around the country is Adryan Corcione. Thanks for joining me.
Adryan Corcione: Of course.
Eddie Conway: Okay. I want to start off with an overview. Adryan, if we could start off with you and you could give us an update of what’s happening around the nation and then I will go to Kim Kelly and we’ll talk about Rikers Island.
Adryan Corcione: Thanks, Eddie. Since launching covid19behindbars.com there’s a lot of trends that we can see that are applicable to all different types of facilities, whether it be county or city jails, state or federal prisons, private or public prisons, detention centers, what have you, a lot of people behind bars are impacted in really similar ways, although there’s definitely marginalizations that still exist. But one big observation is that even the general public doesn’t have access to testing so there’s a lot of people walking around who may be asymptomatic or people who do have symptoms but aren’t getting access to tests but for those behind bars, particularly prisoners, they have even less access to testing. People behind bars might be being isolated and quarantined within their prison with flu like symptoms and/or respiratory problems but there’s not really a system in place that we can ensure that the prisoners are getting access to testing so that we can have it confirmed. Lots of correctional officers do have access to testing, they are being tested, but the truth remains is that prison healthcare is really, really poor. It always has been and I think COVID-19 is exposing what was already there.
Eddie Conway: Okay. Let’s, for a minute, look at Rikers Island. Kim, can you give us an overview. We’ll go into some questions later on in detail but can you tell us exactly what’s happening right now?
Kim Kelly: Right. Well, I’ve been getting most of my updates from a dear friend of mine who’s been incarcerated there for the past few months. I actually just spoke to him yesterday and the situation right there is very dire. This is the point where [inaudible 00:03:26] have been releasing hundreds of people, which is not enough to help stem the spread of this epidemic. It’s a start and there are a lot more people that need to be let out but that’s the point we’re at. As of yesterday, so there’s probably more now, as of yesterday, about 100 people, incarcerated people, were diagnosed with COVID and there are also a number of correctional guards and all that, but my focus is on the people who are trapped there, who don’t get to leave at the end of the day. And at this point, for example, my friend, the person I talked to yesterday, he and his dorm have been in isolation and quarantine for the past eight days, 24 hour lockdown. They don’t have enough masks, they don’t have enough cleaning supplies, there isn’t adequate testing going on as Adrian said, people are still living on top of each other. It’s a really dire situation and is only going to get worse as the virus continues to spread and as the facilities on Rikers Island continue to fill up with people.
Eddie Conway: And there was a report in Intercept about mass graves being dug by prisoners and them being compensated. Do you know anything about that?
Kim Kelly: Right. Well, I actually reported on that a little while ago but there is an existing program, and has been at Rikers since, I think, 1867, wherein people who are in prison there, they are used to dig graves on Heart Island, which is the Potters Field on an island outside of … In the river. This has been happening for a very long time, people who are incarcerated there are used to dig graves for the city’s poor and indigent unclaimed people who die. And now there is this report … I think it was compiled in 2008 in the wake of everything that was happening then. I think it was the office of the city medical examiner. Their report or recommendations they put together for what would happen if a mass pandemic hit New York City and there is a section about what would happen if there was an overflow of bodies if the city morgue was just overflowing and it was decided that people who were incarcerated on Rikers Island would be the people who’d be tasked to dig those graves and now we’re at this point where it’s happening and where people are, according to the Interceptor, are being offered $6 an hour to dig these graves.
And I spoke to my friend yesterday, he hadn’t heard about it because his unit has been in lockdown but, like he said, a typical prison labor job at Rikers gets about $1 an hour so people, if they’re presented with this opportunity, to make more money, will they take it? Will the not? He said he wouldn’t but this is where we’re at, where people who are essentially being used to slave labors to dig mass graves for the dead in New York City.
Eddie Conway: Okay. But can you clear this up for me? Is that $6 an hour or $6 a day?
Kim Kelly: This is The Intercept’s reporting. I’m not sure what their sources are but they’re reporting that it was a $6 an hour job, which sounds pretty good until you think about the fact that bodies that are buried on Heart Island, they are not embalmed and they’re contained in pinewood boxes so there is a risk of exposure there on top of whatever mental strain that comes from knowing that you’re burying the bodies of the dead while you, yourself, are trapped in a prison.
Eddie Conway: Okay. Let’s look at Cook County Jail and see what’s happening there and also look at the state of California and their prisoner release.
Adryan Corcione: Yeah. California has a system in place where the state prison administration is reporting positive cases. I’m not sure about Illinois but, as we can see in perspective states like Louisiana, up until today, they were not reporting the positives and the state Department of Corrections was not specifying which facilities where had prisoners or correctional officers that had tested positive but I checked the site today and now they do. And we saw that in Georgia as well, where at first, the Georgia Department of Corrections was not disclosing which facilities out of sighting HIPA violations, but once there is a prisoner death, at [inaudible 00:08:13] State Prison in Georgia, they’re now publishing which facilities have tested positive and then that goes back to, you mentioned in Cook County in Illinois, a trend that we see nationally is that people are dying. People are dying behind bars from COVID-19 and these are otherwise preventable deaths. And at Cook County, it was reported that there’s a lot of cases that reflect to the degree of Rikers where it’s rapidly moving, there’s dozens of people who are coming and testing back positive and then, in the news today, at Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois, in the same state, there is a prisoner death.
We’re starting to finally see, in the past week, that people behind bars are dying. These are otherwise preventable deaths and the health and safety standards behind bars of lack of access to testing and on top of the horrific conditions of not having access to soap, not being able to use hand sanitizer, not having cleaning products to keep their space cleanly really, really impacts public health for the worst and this information is not being clearly communicated to the general public. A lot of this information I’m getting is from people who are in touch with people behind bars or people behind bars directly. The administrations are not communicating the conditions of what is happening behind bars. Certain states are adapting and letting the public know which facilities have tested positives amongst the prisoner population or amongst staff but it’s a really detrimental situation where we have and it just further exposes the lack of transparency we have with prison administrations.
Eddie Conway: Okay. Just as a follow up of the federal government attorney general, Blair issued a request that prisoners be released from the federal prison system, which I’m not sure the numbers but closer to 200 thousand prisoners are held in federal jails and so on. But I understand that he made the stipulation that they use this algorithm called Pattern and it seems to be biased toward white collar criminals, which are primary white people. Have you looked at that and what’s your thoughts on that?
Adryan Corcione: Yeah. I think calls for decarceration needs to happen but we are running into this respectability politic within who gets to get released from prison. Lots of groups are calling for non-violent offenders to be released but this crisis does not impact just those who are labeled as non-violent offenders, it doesn’t just affect [inaudible 00:11:34] innocent people who are behind bars, it impacts everybody and it doesn’t matter what you’re charge or conviction was, people are still going to be impacted by this, people are going to lose loved ones and it, in terms of an algorithm and what we know about racist policing, in general, it’s unsurprising and unfortunate that we have these distinctions that are coming out but I think it’s still really important to stress that abolition for all and that all prisoners are deserving of a quality life and quality healthcare and public heath. These are calls for anyone who is a human and I think it’s important that people in the audience know that it doesn’t matter what your charge is, you are still impacted by this and anyone who knows anybody in the cercarial system will also be impacted and that it’s not a good precedent moving forward.
Eddie Conway: Kim, this whole thing with the release of prisoners in California or the federal government that’s focusing mainly on white collar criminals, California just focusing on criminals that has less than 60 days to do, what’s the situation on Rikers Island? And this seems to be a PR kind of sponsored reaction to the public outcry but is this impacting prisoners that’s really affected?
Kim Kelly: I’ve honestly been following this more closely from a personal perspective, keeping an eye on my friend, but there have been several hundred released. I think it came out yesterday that they’re up to 1900 that were eligible. It seems like it’s moving very quickly but also not quickly enough where politicians are saying one thing but what’s happening inside inside is very different. My friend was telling me a couple days ago about how … This was a little earlier on before the big wave had happened and when there’s a wave of several hundred people released in one week. [inaudible 00:14:02] saying there are people being told, “You’re going home,” and then they’re kept there for three days in these crowded dorms with no information. It seems like it’s very slap dash, the way things are being enacted and like Adrienne was saying, it does seem like there’s very much a emphasis on the non-violent, the good, prisoners, which is a whole other conversation, right? But as they’re saying, this virus does not care what you may have did or what you may have not did. It does not care what a judge decided to put you away for.
It affects everybody and what’s happening at Rikers, I just got an update as Adrienne was speaking that there are now 212 confirmed cases of incarcerated people with this virus on Rikers Island, which is a huge jump from just a few days ago. This is spreading and [inaudible 00:14:53] have this whole thing where they like to … It’s almost like playground antics, they like to jerk each other around, they like to see who has more power, who’s the big man, but these are peoples lives that we’re talking about and it came out a couple days ago that, I believe, the commissioner corrections … I’d have to find the exact title. There is somebody who has the power to unilaterally release as many people as are needed. All of these people have this power and they’re dragging their feet. We saw in Jersey, where I’m from as you can tell, a week or so ago, over 1000 people were released from local jails, which is the kind of action that needs to be taken. In Rikers, it’s spreading so fast and people are so afraid and there’s already so … Rikers is a hell hole when things are good, right? At this point, keeping anybody there longer than they need to, which is no one should be there for more than zero seconds.
It’s just putting people at risk and although political [inaudible 00:15:54], these people need to get their kids out of … I know what I mean. You know what I want to say. I don’t want to curse on your stream. They need to get their selves togethers and take decisive action because we’re running out of time.
Eddie Conway: Okay. Adrienne, it seems to me and, as I was pointing out, this seems like a PR kind of stunt, the California thing, even though it’s releasing 3500 people, it’s people that would have been released in a month or two anyway. The thing that’s happening in the federal government seems to be a white collar release. These things seem to be a PR thing. Are you getting the impression that they’re just trying to save face and they’re not really trying to save potentially at risk people in the prison systems?
Adryan Corcione: yeah, I can agree. It’s damage control, because even the information that we are getting from California’s Department of Correction is not cohesive. There’s a lot of questions even when we know that there are positive cases of COVID-19 behind bars in a facility, even if we know there are people, there’s a lot of questions that loved ones are going to have, how does this impact my loved one behind bars? Are people placed in pods? Are people in quarantine? What does it mean for … A lot of people can’t get in touch with people because it’s on lockdown. There’s no phone calls, there’s no video calls, and there’s definitely a lot of more press that I’m finding in the media analysis of people of mainstream press is more likely to report on something of COVID-19 behind bars. If a correctional officer has it, or if there’s a celebrity, right? There’s a lot of stunts that are happening to get people on the side of they’re doing everything they can but if they’re being honest with themselves, if the prisons were doing everything they could, they would not exist and there’s other trends that we can see too like in Marilyns, which now is reckoning with their first positive cases of those behind bars.
The Marilyn Department of Correction ordered all facilities to have free soap access to prisoners but when I spoke to my friend who is incarcerated at [inaudible 00:18:41] Bench Correctional Facility in Cumberland, Maryland, she has not had soap in months, which was the case before. A lot of these stunts, too, that, not just of releasing people, but ensuring people have access to clean facilities, it just becomes are the prison administrations a reliable credible source of information? And we see continually and time again and a lot of what Kim has said too, from interviewing people who are impacted, as prisoners, we can find that there is conflicting information.
Eddie Conway: This is a question for both, but, Kim, you start off, you can answer it first. But let me back up a minute. Marilyn, I have heard has over seven cases now and some cases among the guards there. It hasn’t been verified, they’re basically saying two prisoners, one guard, et cetera, but people from inside the prisons are reporting that there’s far more and that they’re not really being kept at a social distance because they’re eating in line and so on. But what should people outside do about this because as the days go on and the weeks go on, this could turn into a real serious epidemic in the prison system. It’s an already started but this could lead to a lot of people losing their lives. What can people outside do? Kim, you want to start off and then you can have the last word, Adrienne.
Kim Kelly: Sure. What people need to be doing right now, while they’re at home safe, is to be calling these politicians and expressing the need for them to release these people as soon as possible. Where, if you’re in New York, you need to be hitting up [inaudible 00:20:49], you need to be hitting up [inaudible 00:20:51], and there’s another person, while we were talking, I got her information sent to me, Cynthia Brand, who is the commissioner of the NYC Department of Corrections. She has the power to let these people go. We need to be calling, we need to be emailing, tweeting, doing everything you can to express and show to these politicians who are in this position of power, who hold power over peoples lives, that we’re watching. We expect them to do what needs to be done. Public pressure is huge right now. In addition to writing letters, to sending soap, to working with prison advocacy in prison, abolition groups, who are already in touch with people on the inside to find out what they need, how you can get it to them, just really doing everything you can to help people who are prevented from helping themselves despitened of the state deciding they don’t deserve to.
Eddie Conway: Okay. Adrienne, you want to follow up with that?
Adryan Corcione: Yeah. What Kim said was great. I think now is a really opportune time to pressure public officials because on the other side of this, whatever that will look like, the decarceration movement is not going anywhere, how can we apply pressure now and get the demands we want is really, really critical. And, two, writing to people behind bars, getting in touch with organizations like Swap Behind Bars and Black and Pink, Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, those are some great organizations with local chapters that are doing the work to support people and I think, especially now that decarceration is becoming a reality in a lot of peoples lives, even amongst the people who may have already were going to be released at some point soon or just people who are completely unexpected getting home. I think it’s really important that [inaudible 00:22:49] are showing up for people for whether they’re families of loved ones behind bars or they’re people behind bars who are no longer in touch with family, who don’t have that resource network.
It’s really important that communities who are also calling for decarceration are also calling for adequate reentry because the connection between incarceration and homelessness is very clear. There’s lots of formally incarcerated people who don’t have the same networks as they once did. In Pennsylvania, most prisoners come from Pittsburgh or Philadelphia but the prisons aren’t located in those areas so when you’re out of prison, it’s like, okay, you’re out, and then you’re just on your own in a completely new place. I had a friend call me, a friend of a friend, that I knew from behind bars and she came home last week and it’s great that people are coming home but also what does reentry look like during COVID-19? My friend wanted to apply for a job at Walmart but she doesn’t know how to use the computer. She can’t go to a library to learn a computer class, I can’t physically go with her to a library and teach her how to use it myself. I think another step that we can all be proactive about is reentry and how communities are handling homelessness and reentry during this time.
Eddie Conway: Okay. We’re going to continue to follow this and keep an eye on what’s going on around the country, with your help of course. Kim and Adryan, thanks for joining me.
Kim Kelly: Thanks so much for having me.
Adryan Corcione: Thank you for having me, Eddie.
Eddie Conway: Okay. And thank you for joining this episode of Rattling the Bars for The Real News.
Studio: Cameron Granadino
Production: Cameron Granadino, Ericka Blount Danois
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therealnews--2020-04-03--Stir Crazy! : April 3, 2020

Stir Crazy! : April 3, 2020

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therealnews--2020-04-03--COVID-19 Is The New Cash Cow For Policing

Taya Graham : Hello .
My name is Taya Graham , and welcome to the Police Accountability Report .
As I never get tired of saying , this show has a single purpose : holding the politically powerful institution of American policing accountable .
To do so , we go beyond the headlines to offer the facts , the figures , and to reveal the often cruel imperative that drives our law enforcement industrial complex .
Just a reminder , I want you to know that if you have evidence of police misconduct , please email it to us privately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please like , share , and comment on our videos .
You know I read your comments and that I appreciate them .
Now , our commitment to tell the truth about policing has never been more important .
Think about it .
As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds , isn ’ t it incumbent upon the media to question the assumptions that brought us here ?
Because we think , on this show , that we are at a pivotal moment in human history .
What is happening now exposes not just how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , but how much previous policies were flawed and dangerous and contributed to the existential threat we are dealing with now .
Let ’ s look at some data to put this idea in perspective .
First of all , it ’ s worth noting that the coronavirus epidemic is , in part , a grand social experiment in the root causes of crime .
Shortly after the lockdowns were rolled out across the country , police predicted a crime wave , but so far , and I emphasize that this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not bear out that prediction .
Look at this graph from the website The Marshall Plan .
It shows crime trends in four major cities that had been affected by the pandemic : Detroit , Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco .
The graph reveals that crime has dropped anywhere from 19 to 42 % .
Now , I know this could change , and I understand it ’ s only preliminary data , but certainly the numbers demand we ask a fundamental question : How much policing is necessary , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an important query that is made even more critical by this fact .
As cities across the country have beefed up police departments with federal grants and civil asset forfeiture , they decrease spending on public health departments .
That is spending dwindled on the true frontline , the first responders for the pandemic , which , again , prompts us to ask , “ Was all the spending really necessary , and was the emphasis on law enforcement over public health a deadly mistake ?
” To help me discuss both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America ’ s law enforcement , I ’ m joined by two people who have covered American policing extensively .
John Masters is the host of the Masters Report , a very popular YouTube channel that covers police brutality and abuse across the country .
John , it is great to have you .
Thank you so much for joining me.John Masters : Oh , no , no , thanks for having me .
I ’ m really excited to be here.Taya Graham : Stephen Janis is a reporter for the Real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Accountability Report .
Steven , thank you for joining me out in the field.Stephen Janis : Hey , Taya .
Thanks for having me on .
I appreciate it.Taya Graham : So , John , anyone who watches your channel knows that you have been calling cops to account for years .
What ’ s your take on the drop in crime , given that police are being less aggressive than usual ?
John Masters : You need to create a problem before you can have a solution .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s clear to everybody since the government keeps growing the police department , they never have enough people , because there ’ s always way too much crime .
Okay ?
If all of these people don ’ t go behind bars , there ’ ll be chaos in the streets .
Okay ?
Well , what we ’ re having right now is people that are involved in nonviolent crimes .
Okay ?
Which you shouldn ’ t be in jail anyways , unless you ’ re stealing somebody ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually hurt somebody , to where we have a victim .
Okay ?
You shouldn ’ t be behind jail anyways .
It ’ s just a form of debtor ’ s prison , and the government ’ s the only one that can do it .
“ Until you pay this corporate fine for a misdemeanor or an infraction , whatever , we ’ re going to put you in jail.
” That ’ s debtor ’ s prison .
So there is no actual victim to it .
So , essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people being let out of jail .
We ’ ve got less cops out on the streets .
Again , we don ’ t have chaos .
Taya Graham : So how much is this the result of stay-at-home orders , or do you think it ’ s something else ?
John Masters : We have less people out on the streets , which means that there ’ s less victims .
Okay ?
For the police to take , and I hate to use the term victim , but it is extortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rolling stop and there ’ s nobody around , you harm nobody , and yet you ’ re still going to get that ticket , because the city needs the revenue .
They tell the police , “ Ticket everybody .
Ruin everybody ’ s name .
We don ’ t care if it ’ s legal or not .
If you run into a problem , then don ’ t ruin the name .
Okay ?
But still , try to ruin the name .
Do everything that you can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number.
” So when we have less people for them to … I ’ ve got to use the word prey upon , which is what they ’ re doing .
I could be politically correct and say enforcing the law so everybody ’ s safe .
I could say that , but it ’ s really not what ’ s occurring , because , in many cases , and probably most all of the cases , they ’ re really not protecting anybody .
Taya Graham : What is the difference between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as opposed to the United States ?
John Masters : In Mexico , for instance , and this is every other country besides the EU or any civilized country .
Okay ?
Which includes the US and Canada .
Most people don ’ t have insurance , even though you ’ re required to have it .
Most people don ’ t even stop at the stop signs .
It ’ s a suggestion to stop .
Okay ?
Same thing with a yellow light .
That ’ s a suggestion to think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Look both ways .
Okay ?
That ’ s what that means .
There ’ s not accidents , and Tijuana ’ s a big city .
Okay ?
Don ’ t get me wrong .
I mean , it ’ s not New York , but it ’ s still a really busy city , and people don ’ t get in accidents .
I ’ m going to tell you why : because it ’ s self-preservation .
They can ’ t afford to fix the fricking car , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t afford to fix our cars .
So if we don ’ t have insurance , we ’ re going to police ourselves so we don ’ t have to get the damn thing fixed .
Taya Graham : Now , when we talked before the show , you discussed an idea that perhaps we could disband police departments and shift to a sheriff system .
Can you describe a little bit more of what the disbanding of police might look like ?
John Masters : Now , remember what I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer you get government to the people , okay , the more responsive the government has to be .
It has to .
Also , the more difficult it is for lobbyists and special interest groups , which is what the police union is , is to get sway .
It ’ s much easier to sway the Senate and the state representatives , if we ’ re talking on a state level , than it is to go to each individual district within a city and try to sway them towards agreeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whatever .
So a few cities and a few counties are actually setting up bills to where we can vote on whether or not to disband our city police department .
I really like that , because it begins to make them accountable .
But instead of going with the sheriff ’ s office , because , again , it ’ s too big .
The sheriff covers the whole county .
He can screw over one little city and still get reelected .
Correct ?
I mean , he can still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has enough money to be able to advertise his way back into office .
So if you had an overshare , which is our typical one that covers the county , and then each individual district had … You could call them sub-sheriffs , call them constables , come up with a name .
You can even call him chiefs .
Okay > the chief of this district .
I don ’ t care about the name .
The point of the matter is he ’ s voted in office .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t keep his cops in line , then he ’ s going to get voted out of office .
We can go around with a petition and make sure it ’ s done anytime .
So , I mean , you would have elections every what , four years or five ?
Whatever you want to make it .
Okay ?
But there needs to be a clause in there , because , if you ever notice , politicians tend to be angels their last year of service , but right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re like , “ All right , let ’ s get this bill passed .
Hey , lobbyists .
Got your back .
You ’ re going to be ready for me next elections , right ?
Okay , let ’ s pass this bill , too .
Yeah .
Boo-yah.
” Okay ?
Now , their last year , all of a sudden , they ’ re all for the people .
Okay ?
I mean , “ I ’ m not going to waste that money .
This is the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to cut into your rights.
” So we need to be able to make it to where … and this is kind of similar in our government now , although it ’ s very difficult to do , but we need to be able to get a petition of everybody that ’ s within that district .
Okay ?
Say 60 % disapproval , signing the petition , of the populace , well , he ’ s out of office , and you vote somebody else in .
Taya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get your impression of American policing in general .
Why is it so powerful , and why has it been prioritized over social programs , like public health ?
John Masters : Okay .
Okay , social health programs cost money .
Okay ?
All right .
So the more police that I have on the streets , the more tickets I can give out .
I ’ ve done a couple of videos now to where I ’ ve been warning the middle class , “ They ’ re coming after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Right now , they ’ re now pushing bike laws .
There ’ s bike speed limits in a lot of these middle class areas .
No , I ’ m serious .
There ’ s bike speed limits , and that ’ s kind of the whole design behind the bike path .
Everybody thought , “ Oh , man , that was such a great thing .
The government ’ s looking out for us.
” Well , no , not exactly , because if you have a bike path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to operate on that path , don ’ t we ?
Specifically for bicycles , because it ’ s a bike path .
So that and jaywalking , and you probably know about all the different governments that are putting out … I mean , I can understand texting and driving okay .
But they ’ re now doing walking and talking , walking and texting .
There ’ s a lot of different cities that now have that as being against the law .
So who is that targeting ?
So they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because they pretty much got that wiped out .
Okay ?
Now they ’ re really going after pedestrians , which now let ’ s take a look at coronavirus .
Most people are what ?
Becoming pedestrian-orientated , which means that there ’ s less cars on the street , which means , “ Where is our next income ?
We ’ ve got these huge police departments .
We want them bigger .
We want to control the government .
I mean , we want to control the people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s say , we do have a riot , or let ’ s say we push it too far , and the people want to revolt.
” Okay ?
Again , if you do the petition system , you don ’ t need to revolt .
But anyways , so let ’ s say they want to .
I want to make sure that we have a feared police .
Why ?
Because I ’ m a politician .
I know I ’ m screwing people over .
I know I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m taking a whole bunch of money in my pocket and getting rich on 100,000 a year with my $ 5 million mansion .
I ’ m just really good with money .
Taya Graham : So , Stephen , you ’ re standing outside a symbolic building that speaks to the question we ’ re asking today .
Can you talk to us about it ?
Stephen Janis : Yeah , I ’ m sitting right outside the Baltimore City Police Department , which is the largest agency in Baltimore City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday , or last week , which was the Baltimore City Health Department .
Funding for police departments in this country have risen exponentially , at least in Baltimore City , and if you look across the country in terms of grants and money available through asset forfeiture have risen dramatically .
But there was a 2013 study that found that investment in public health systems , like the one we have here , Baltimore Public Health Agency , have dropped dramatically both at the federal , state , and local level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been funding , to a tremendous degree , policing , we have been de-investing in public health , and I think right now , we ’ re paying the consequences for that decision .
Taya Graham : So Stephen , one community actually experimented with disbanding a police department .
Can you describe what happened ?
Stephen Janis : Right .
Well , Camden , New Jersey , about three or four years ago , could no longer afford to pay their police officers .
The police officers were costing about $ 118,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is they did something very radical .
They said , “ We are disbanding the police department .
We will no longer have cops , and we will contract out to an outside agency a sheriff ’ s department.
” Actually , it was a state police agency outside the city .
Crime actually went down , and the cost of policing went down .
So the city really had a tremendously positive experience , in terms of getting rid of policing altogether , not only from a cost-benefit , but also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the idea of the same thing that Baltimore has , where we are spending tons of money in other cities like Baltimore for policing , for pensions , for health benefits , which could be going into other things , like public health .
So that ’ s why we ’ re talking about this , and Camden is a perfect example of where that worked .
Taya Graham : So it ’ s clear , as this crisis escalates , that we are in a moment of national reckoning , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wake-up call to truly examine the underlying imperative of American capitalism , which is to seek profit at all cost .
That analysis must include the role policing plays in enforcing its predatory values , and there ’ s a reason for this , why it ’ s so important .
Remember , on the show , we have pointed out the crucial role policing plays in bolstering capitalism , partly by diminishing political dissent , how it allows income inequality to flourish by using petty arrests and minor crimes to disempower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , think about it .
What was the point of the War on Drugs ?
A massive epidemic of the mind and spirit treated with arrests and punishment , targeted almost exclusively at poor communities and communities of color , millions of people with an illness caged behind bars , a veritable invasion of poor communities by militarized police to take assets , civil liberties , and basic political efficacy .
What did all this police activity accomplish ?
Well , consider the latest book by noted economist Thomas Piketty .
The French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 21st Century , argued that massive income inequality was an inevitable byproduct of capitalism .
In it , he concluded that concentrated , inherited wealth was created by conditions similar to past feudal societies .
But his second book had a different take .
In it , he says the growing gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of us is not the result of capitalism alone , but ideology , an imbalance that is not inevitable , but justified , and I ’ m quoting , in the realm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anyone who ’ s watched this show knows that we have talked about how this idea of inequality is perpetrated on the American people through policing .
In fact , in our show titled How Aggressive Policing Fuels America ’ s Income Inequality Machine , Stephen talks just about that .
Let ’ s watch .
Stephen Janis : This illustrates , more than anything , how insincere the idea or how impossible the idea of reforming American policing is , for just the reasons we discussed before , about its role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injustice .
Taya Graham : The point is that Piketty is right , and so were we .
Think about it .
The War on Drugs , mass incarceration , what did it accomplish ?
The opioid epidemic has claimed more lives year over year than the Vietnam War .
Drugs are more widely available and cheaper than ever .
Meanwhile , criminologists have trouble reaching a consensus on whether our historic national addiction to incarceration has truly impacted crime rates .
But we do know that the arc of inequality and aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand that unchecked asset forfeiture and usury fines have extracted wealth from poor communities across the country , and we accept the premise that the idea of blanket criminality has reduced the political agency of people who can not afford to fight back .
I think about recent developments in Florida .
Their residents voted overwhelmingly to restore a felon ’ s right to vote .
Once you did your time , voters decided , your basic right to participate in our democracy should be restored .
But not so fast , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to alter the wishes of the voters and change the law to require that the formerly incarcerated pay fines and fees before they cast ballots .
It ’ s a perfect example , however granular , of Piketty ’ s point .
First , create a system of strict inequality that consigns millions of people to poverty .
Then incarcerate them for petty crimes and deny them the most basic of rights : voting .
Finally , charge people who already can ’ t find jobs and force them to buy back their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this a poll tax , a reference to this country ’ s troubled history of denying African Americans the right to vote by charging them to cast a ballot .
But I also think it ’ s the perfect final piece of the puzzle of how American policing has heightened income inequality .
It actually represents the final link in the chain of causality that manufactures misery and nullifies dissent .
It ’ s a relationship between capitalism and poverty , policing and punishment that is best summarized by noted scholar Dr. Cornell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to him .
Dr. Cornell Wes… : Because we live now under a Neo-liberal regime that reinforces denial , they see a problem , they financialize , they privatize , the militarize .
All three of those processes are forms of denial .
Taya Graham : That is a perfect place to end .
I want to thank my guest , John Masters , for joining us and for his years of work in holding police accountable .
Thank you so much for your time , John .
John Masters : Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this show with you .
Looking forward to doing another one .
Taya Graham : I want to thank my cohost , Stephen Janis , for his amazing reporting and editing and writing .
Thank you , Stephen .
Thank you for your time .
Stephen Janis : Thanks , Taya , for having me .
I want to continue this discussion .
Taya Graham : I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to friend of the show Noli Dee for her help .
Thank you , Noli Dee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if you have evidence of police misconduct or brutality , please share it with us , and we might be able to investigate .
Please reach out to us .
You can email us privately at [ email protected ] and share your evidence of police misconduct .
You can also message us at Police Accountability Report on Facebook or Instagram or at Eyes on Police on Twitter .
Of course , you can message me directly at Taya ’ s Baltimore on Twitter or Facebook .
Please like and share and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your comments and that I appreciate them , and I try to answer questions whenever I can .
I ’ m your host , Taya Graham , and I want to thank you so much for choosing to spend your time here with me .
Please be safe out there .

Taya Graham: Hello. My name is Taya Graham, and welcome to the Police Accountability Report. As I never get tired of saying, this show has a single purpose: holding the politically powerful institution of American policing accountable. To do so, we go beyond the headlines to offer the facts, the figures, and to reveal the often cruel imperative that drives our law enforcement industrial complex.Just a reminder, I want you to know that if you have evidence of police misconduct, please email it to us privately at par@therealnews.com , and please like, share, and comment on our videos. You know I read your comments and that I appreciate them.Now, our commitment to tell the truth about policing has never been more important. Think about it. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, isn’t it incumbent upon the media to question the assumptions that brought us here? Because we think, on this show, that we are at a pivotal moment in human history. What is happening now exposes not just how ill-prepared we are to confront the COVID-19 virus, but how much previous policies were flawed and dangerous and contributed to the existential threat we are dealing with now.Let’s look at some data to put this idea in perspective. First of all, it’s worth noting that the coronavirus epidemic is, in part, a grand social experiment in the root causes of crime. Shortly after the lockdowns were rolled out across the country, police predicted a crime wave, but so far, and I emphasize that this is a preliminary assessment, the data does not bear out that prediction.Look at this graph from the website The Marshall Plan. It shows crime trends in four major cities that had been affected by the pandemic: Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco. The graph reveals that crime has dropped anywhere from 19 to 42%. Now, I know this could change, and I understand it’s only preliminary data, but certainly the numbers demand we ask a fundamental question: How much policing is necessary, and how much is not?It’s an important query that is made even more critical by this fact. As cities across the country have beefed up police departments with federal grants and civil asset forfeiture, they decrease spending on public health departments. That is spending dwindled on the true frontline, the first responders for the pandemic, which, again, prompts us to ask, “Was all the spending really necessary, and was the emphasis on law enforcement over public health a deadly mistake?”To help me discuss both the past, present, and future of America’s law enforcement, I’m joined by two people who have covered American policing extensively. John Masters is the host of the Masters Report, a very popular YouTube channel that covers police brutality and abuse across the country. John, it is great to have you. Thank you so much for joining me.John Masters: Oh, no, no, thanks for having me. I’m really excited to be here.Taya Graham: Stephen Janis is a reporter for the Real News Network and the cohost of the Police Accountability Report. Steven, thank you for joining me out in the field.Stephen Janis: Hey, Taya. Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.Taya Graham: So, John, anyone who watches your channel knows that you have been calling cops to account for years. What’s your take on the drop in crime, given that police are being less aggressive than usual?John Masters: You need to create a problem before you can have a solution. I’m pretty clear, and I think it’s clear to everybody since the government keeps growing the police department, they never have enough people, because there’s always way too much crime. Okay? If all of these people don’t go behind bars, there’ll be chaos in the streets. Okay?Well, what we’re having right now is people that are involved in nonviolent crimes. Okay? Which you shouldn’t be in jail anyways, unless you’re stealing somebody’s property or damaging their property or you actually hurt somebody, to where we have a victim. Okay? You shouldn’t be behind jail anyways. It’s just a form of debtor’s prison, and the government’s the only one that can do it. “Until you pay this corporate fine for a misdemeanor or an infraction, whatever, we’re going to put you in jail.” That’s debtor’s prison.So there is no actual victim to it. So, essentially, we’ve got all these people being let out of jail. We’ve got less cops out on the streets. Again, we don’t have chaos.Taya Graham: So how much is this the result of stay-at-home orders, or do you think it’s something else?John Masters: We have less people out on the streets, which means that there’s less victims. Okay? For the police to take, and I hate to use the term victim, but it is extortion. I mean, if you do a rolling stop and there’s nobody around, you harm nobody, and yet you’re still going to get that ticket, because the city needs the revenue. They tell the police, “Ticket everybody. Ruin everybody’s name. We don’t care if it’s legal or not. If you run into a problem, then don’t ruin the name. Okay? But still, try to ruin the name. Do everything that you can to get their name and address and phone number.”So when we have less people for them to … I’ve got to use the word prey upon, which is what they’re doing. I could be politically correct and say enforcing the law so everybody’s safe. I could say that, but it’s really not what’s occurring, because, in many cases, and probably most all of the cases, they’re really not protecting anybody.Taya Graham: What is the difference between policing in a country like Mexico, as opposed to the United States?
John Masters: In Mexico, for instance, and this is every other country besides the EU or any civilized country. Okay? Which includes the US and Canada. Most people don’t have insurance, even though you’re required to have it. Most people don’t even stop at the stop signs. It’s a suggestion to stop. Okay? Same thing with a yellow light. That’s a suggestion to think about, sometimes even a red light. Look both ways. Okay? That’s what that means.
There’s not accidents, and Tijuana’s a big city. Okay? Don’t get me wrong. I mean, it’s not New York, but it’s still a really busy city, and people don’t get in accidents. I’m going to tell you why: because it’s self-preservation. They can’t afford to fix the fricking car, just like us. Okay? We can’t afford to fix our cars. So if we don’t have insurance, we’re going to police ourselves so we don’t have to get the damn thing fixed.
Taya Graham: Now, when we talked before the show, you discussed an idea that perhaps we could disband police departments and shift to a sheriff system. Can you describe a little bit more of what the disbanding of police might look like?
John Masters: Now, remember what I was talking about, setting up? The closer you get government to the people, okay, the more responsive the government has to be. It has to. Also, the more difficult it is for lobbyists and special interest groups, which is what the police union is, is to get sway. It’s much easier to sway the Senate and the state representatives, if we’re talking on a state level, than it is to go to each individual district within a city and try to sway them towards agreeing with you or making it a law or whatever.
So a few cities and a few counties are actually setting up bills to where we can vote on whether or not to disband our city police department. I really like that, because it begins to make them accountable. But instead of going with the sheriff’s office, because, again, it’s too big. The sheriff covers the whole county. He can screw over one little city and still get reelected. Correct? I mean, he can still garner enough votes, and especially if he has enough money to be able to advertise his way back into office.
So if you had an overshare, which is our typical one that covers the county, and then each individual district had … You could call them sub-sheriffs, call them constables, come up with a name. You can even call him chiefs. Okay> the chief of this district. I don’t care about the name. The point of the matter is he’s voted in office. If this cop starts screwing up and he doesn’t keep his cops in line, then he’s going to get voted out of office. We can go around with a petition and make sure it’s done anytime.
So, I mean, you would have elections every what, four years or five? Whatever you want to make it. Okay? But there needs to be a clause in there, because, if you ever notice, politicians tend to be angels their last year of service, but right after they get elected, they’re like, “All right, let’s get this bill passed. Hey, lobbyists. Got your back. You’re going to be ready for me next elections, right? Okay, let’s pass this bill, too. Yeah. Boo-yah.” Okay?
Now, their last year, all of a sudden, they’re all for the people. Okay? I mean, “I’m not going to waste that money. This is the people’s money, and I think it’s going to cut into your rights.” So we need to be able to make it to where … and this is kind of similar in our government now, although it’s very difficult to do, but we need to be able to get a petition of everybody that’s within that district. Okay? Say 60% disapproval, signing the petition, of the populace, well, he’s out of office, and you vote somebody else in.
Taya Graham: John, I just want to get your impression of American policing in general. Why is it so powerful, and why has it been prioritized over social programs, like public health?
John Masters: Okay. Okay, social health programs cost money. Okay? All right. So the more police that I have on the streets, the more tickets I can give out. I’ve done a couple of videos now to where I’ve been warning the middle class, “They’re coming after you next.” Okay? They are.
Right now, they’re now pushing bike laws. There’s bike speed limits in a lot of these middle class areas. No, I’m serious. There’s bike speed limits, and that’s kind of the whole design behind the bike path. Everybody thought, “Oh, man, that was such a great thing. The government’s looking out for us.” Well, no, not exactly, because if you have a bike path, now we have laws about how to operate on that path, don’t we? Specifically for bicycles, because it’s a bike path.
So that and jaywalking, and you probably know about all the different governments that are putting out … I mean, I can understand texting and driving okay. But they’re now doing walking and talking, walking and texting. There’s a lot of different cities that now have that as being against the law.
So who is that targeting? So they’re moving out of the cars, because they pretty much got that wiped out. Okay? Now they’re really going after pedestrians, which now let’s take a look at coronavirus. Most people are what? Becoming pedestrian-orientated, which means that there’s less cars on the street, which means, “Where is our next income? We’ve got these huge police departments. We want them bigger. We want to control the government. I mean, we want to control the people, okay, in case, let’s say, we do have a riot, or let’s say we push it too far, and the people want to revolt.” Okay?
Again, if you do the petition system, you don’t need to revolt. But anyways, so let’s say they want to. I want to make sure that we have a feared police. Why? Because I’m a politician. I know I’m screwing people over. I know I’m breaking the law. I know I’m taking a whole bunch of money in my pocket and getting rich on 100,000 a year with my $5 million mansion. I’m just really good with money.
Taya Graham: So, Stephen, you’re standing outside a symbolic building that speaks to the question we’re asking today. Can you talk to us about it?
Stephen Janis: Yeah, I’m sitting right outside the Baltimore City Police Department, which is the largest agency in Baltimore City. Contrast that to where I was yesterday, or last week, which was the Baltimore City Health Department. Funding for police departments in this country have risen exponentially, at least in Baltimore City, and if you look across the country in terms of grants and money available through asset forfeiture have risen dramatically.
But there was a 2013 study that found that investment in public health systems, like the one we have here, Baltimore Public Health Agency, have dropped dramatically both at the federal, state, and local level. So, basically, while we have been funding, to a tremendous degree, policing, we have been de-investing in public health, and I think right now, we’re paying the consequences for that decision.
Taya Graham: So Stephen, one community actually experimented with disbanding a police department. Can you describe what happened?
Stephen Janis: Right. Well, Camden, New Jersey, about three or four years ago, could no longer afford to pay their police officers. The police officers were costing about $118,000 per officer. So what they did is they did something very radical. They said, “We are disbanding the police department. We will no longer have cops, and we will contract out to an outside agency a sheriff’s department.” Actually, it was a state police agency outside the city.
Crime actually went down, and the cost of policing went down. So the city really had a tremendously positive experience, in terms of getting rid of policing altogether, not only from a cost-benefit, but also a crime benefit. I think it speaks to the idea of the same thing that Baltimore has, where we are spending tons of money in other cities like Baltimore for policing, for pensions, for health benefits, which could be going into other things, like public health. So that’s why we’re talking about this, and Camden is a perfect example of where that worked.
Taya Graham: So it’s clear, as this crisis escalates, that we are in a moment of national reckoning, an existential threat to humanity that is also a wake-up call to truly examine the underlying imperative of American capitalism, which is to seek profit at all cost. That analysis must include the role policing plays in enforcing its predatory values, and there’s a reason for this, why it’s so important.
Remember, on the show, we have pointed out the crucial role policing plays in bolstering capitalism, partly by diminishing political dissent, how it allows income inequality to flourish by using petty arrests and minor crimes to disempower large swaths of Americans.
I mean, think about it. What was the point of the War on Drugs? A massive epidemic of the mind and spirit treated with arrests and punishment, targeted almost exclusively at poor communities and communities of color, millions of people with an illness caged behind bars, a veritable invasion of poor communities by militarized police to take assets, civil liberties, and basic political efficacy.
What did all this police activity accomplish? Well, consider the latest book by noted economist Thomas Piketty. The French thinker’s first book, Capitalism in the 21st Century, argued that massive income inequality was an inevitable byproduct of capitalism. In it, he concluded that concentrated, inherited wealth was created by conditions similar to past feudal societies.
But his second book had a different take. In it, he says the growing gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of us is not the result of capitalism alone, but ideology, an imbalance that is not inevitable, but justified, and I’m quoting, in the realm of ideas.
Now, that sounds familiar. Anyone who’s watched this show knows that we have talked about how this idea of inequality is perpetrated on the American people through policing. In fact, in our show titled How Aggressive Policing Fuels America’s Income Inequality Machine, Stephen talks just about that. Let’s watch.
Stephen Janis: This illustrates, more than anything, how insincere the idea or how impossible the idea of reforming American policing is, for just the reasons we discussed before, about its role in creating the sort of environment for injustice.
Taya Graham: The point is that Piketty is right, and so were we. Think about it. The War on Drugs, mass incarceration, what did it accomplish? The opioid epidemic has claimed more lives year over year than the Vietnam War. Drugs are more widely available and cheaper than ever. Meanwhile, criminologists have trouble reaching a consensus on whether our historic national addiction to incarceration has truly impacted crime rates.
But we do know that the arc of inequality and aggressive policing have risen in tandem. We understand that unchecked asset forfeiture and usury fines have extracted wealth from poor communities across the country, and we accept the premise that the idea of blanket criminality has reduced the political agency of people who cannot afford to fight back.
I think about recent developments in Florida. Their residents voted overwhelmingly to restore a felon’s right to vote. Once you did your time, voters decided, your basic right to participate in our democracy should be restored. But not so fast, said a Republican-controlled legislature. It unilaterally decided to alter the wishes of the voters and change the law to require that the formerly incarcerated pay fines and fees before they cast ballots.
It’s a perfect example, however granular, of Piketty’s point. First, create a system of strict inequality that consigns millions of people to poverty. Then incarcerate them for petty crimes and deny them the most basic of rights: voting. Finally, charge people who already can’t find jobs and force them to buy back their voting rights.
Some critics have called this a poll tax, a reference to this country’s troubled history of denying African Americans the right to vote by charging them to cast a ballot. But I also think it’s the perfect final piece of the puzzle of how American policing has heightened income inequality. It actually represents the final link in the chain of causality that manufactures misery and nullifies dissent. It’s a relationship between capitalism and poverty, policing and punishment that is best summarized by noted scholar Dr. Cornell West. Let’s take a listen to him.
Dr. Cornell Wes…: Because we live now under a Neo-liberal regime that reinforces denial, they see a problem, they financialize, they privatize, the militarize. All three of those processes are forms of denial.
Taya Graham: That is a perfect place to end. I want to thank my guest, John Masters, for joining us and for his years of work in holding police accountable. Thank you so much for your time, John.
John Masters: Again, guys, really excited to do this show with you. Looking forward to doing another one.
Taya Graham: I want to thank my cohost, Stephen Janis, for his amazing reporting and editing and writing. Thank you, Stephen. Thank you for your time.
Stephen Janis: Thanks, Taya, for having me. I want to continue this discussion.
Taya Graham: I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to friend of the show Noli Dee for her help. Thank you, Noli Dee.
I want you watching to note that if you have evidence of police misconduct or brutality, please share it with us, and we might be able to investigate. Please reach out to us. You can email us privately at par@therealnews.com and share your evidence of police misconduct. You can also message us at Police Accountability Report on Facebook or Instagram or at Eyes on Police on Twitter. Of course, you can message me directly at Taya’s Baltimore on Twitter or Facebook.
Please like and share and comment. You know I do read your comments and that I appreciate them, and I try to answer questions whenever I can.
I’m your host, Taya Graham, and I want to thank you so much for choosing to spend your time here with me. Please be safe out there.


therealnews--2020-04-03--A Doctor In Italy Shares Lessons Learned Battling COVID-19

This is a rush transcript and may contain errors .
It will be updated .
Jaisal Noor : No country has been hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as Italy .
With over 105,000 confirmed cases resulting in over 12,000 deaths , Italy has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world .
Italy ’ s healthcare system is on the brink , with medical workers and frontline workers making huge sacrifices amid a national lockdown that has entered its fourth week and has only now finally shown signs it ’ s been effective in slowing deaths and reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wealthiest and most populous region of Italy , has become the single deadliest coronavirus hotspot on the planet .
This is Moreno [ Trezoldi 00:00:41 ] , head doctor in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of Milan ’ s San Rafael Hospital .
Dr. Moreno Tresoldi : Certainly this is an extraordinary situation .
It initially took us by surprise .
We did not expect a situation like this , that would last for so long and be so dramatic , particularly the peak , which has really put the hospitals under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy had been under enormous strain .
They had been running out of space and equipment , and staff has not rested in weeks , says Tresoldi .
Dr. Moreno Tresoldi : Obviously our shifts are incredibly tiring .
We are trying to give ourselves moments where the group can rest a little bit , but it isn ’ t easy because we have a great number of beds to deal with .
Jaisal Noor : Three weeks after stringent lockdown measures were introduced , each more restrictive than the next , Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
The lockdown began on February 23rd .
Despite the lockdown , Italian workers have sought to organize together to improve their safety situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic , says Rome based labor organizer , activist and writer , Luca De Crescenzo .
Luca De Crescenzo : The government declared national emergency on the 31st of January .
Actually the first made sure about safety at the workplace was taken the 14 of March , so it was really , really late .
The first known cases in Lombardy were on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already widespread and still you had millions of workers gathering at the workplaces and factories , call centers , warehouses , with no safety measures .
Jaisal Noor : De Crescenzo says Italian workers have carried out walkout strikes and protests .
Those strikes have included workers in Amazon warehouses and many others .
Luca De Crescenzo : The biggest struggled were at the factories because the north of Italy , Lombardia , which is the region which was mostly hit by the COVID-19 epidemic , is also the most famous divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of steel workers factories and many of them actually went on strike .
Jaisal Noor : De Crescenzo says workers who have lost their jobs received a $ 600 euro compensation , and have had to rely on charity to get by .
Luca DeCrescenzo : Now you are seeing a very harsh situation , where people are going to the supermarket and then make grocery shop and then you don ’ t want to pay for it .
And the answer from the state was police and even the army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving some funds and finance to the township in order for them to give people the money just to buy food .
Jaisal Noor : Years of austerity measures have weakened the healthcare system ahead of the crisis sparked by COVID-19 .
Luca DeCrescenzo : We have a universal healthcare system , but it ’ s also real that in the last 10 years or more , there were a lot of cuts on the budget .
This really was one of the reason why it was put under much stress under this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the reasons why we have registered so many deaths , actually even in the north of Italy .
Jaisal Noor : As the United States surpasses Italy and China for the greatest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases , an Italian doctor has this advice for the United States .
Dr. Alessandro Olivi : Listen to the scientists and to the public health officials .
Jaisal Noor : Says Dr. Alessandro Olivi , who spent 27 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore , serving as Vice Chairman of the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Division of Neurosurgical Oncology .
Dr. Alessandro Olivi : Fauci , the confronted with who is probably the reasoning arm of that administration .
And certainly be prepared with the hospitals that are able to change very rapidly the number of the patients with the tremendous needs .
Jaisal Noor : The situation in Italy is a human tragedy of significant proportions , as Olivi , who heads the neurosurgery department at the prestigious Gemelli Hospital in Rome .
Just like the US , Italy has experienced the devastating effect of a lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or PPE .
Dr. Alessandro Olivi : As far as the shortage of PPE and then the ventilators , no question that this has been , there are a lot of issues about shortage from masks and other equipment and ventilators and in all honesty , the many situation .
I know this for a fact , as firsthand information , there have been decisions , very tough decisions that we made in Lombardy of doctor intubating people because there were not enough ventilators or places in the ICU .
Jaisal Noor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Jaisal Noor .

Italian doctors and labor organizers learned painful lessons from the global coronavirus pandemic.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Jaisal Noor: No country has been hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as Italy. With over 105,000 confirmed cases resulting in over 12,000 deaths, Italy has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world. Italy’s healthcare system is on the brink, with medical workers and frontline workers making huge sacrifices amid a national lockdown that has entered its fourth week and has only now finally shown signs it’s been effective in slowing deaths and reducing the rate of infection. Lombardy, the wealthiest and most populous region of Italy, has become the single deadliest coronavirus hotspot on the planet. This is Moreno [Trezoldi 00:00:41], head doctor in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of Milan’s San Rafael Hospital.
Dr. Moreno Tresoldi: Certainly this is an extraordinary situation. It initially took us by surprise. We did not expect a situation like this, that would last for so long and be so dramatic, particularly the peak, which has really put the hospitals under strain.
Jaisal Noor: Hospitals across Italy had been under enormous strain. They had been running out of space and equipment, and staff has not rested in weeks, says Tresoldi.
Dr. Moreno Tresoldi: Obviously our shifts are incredibly tiring. We are trying to give ourselves moments where the group can rest a little bit, but it isn’t easy because we have a great number of beds to deal with.
Jaisal Noor: Three weeks after stringent lockdown measures were introduced, each more restrictive than the next, Italy is finally experiencing a decrease in new cases. The lockdown began on February 23rd. Despite the lockdown, Italian workers have sought to organize together to improve their safety situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, says Rome based labor organizer, activist and writer, Luca De Crescenzo.
Luca De Crescenzo: The government declared national emergency on the 31st of January. Actually the first made sure about safety at the workplace was taken the 14 of March, so it was really, really late. The first known cases in Lombardy were on the 21st of February, so the epidemic was already widespread and still you had millions of workers gathering at the workplaces and factories, call centers, warehouses, with no safety measures.
Jaisal Noor: De Crescenzo says Italian workers have carried out walkout strikes and protests. Those strikes have included workers in Amazon warehouses and many others.
Luca De Crescenzo: The biggest struggled were at the factories because the north of Italy, Lombardia, which is the region which was mostly hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, is also the most famous divided region in Italy, and there are a lot of steel workers factories and many of them actually went on strike.
Jaisal Noor: De Crescenzo says workers who have lost their jobs received a $600 euro compensation, and have had to rely on charity to get by.
Luca DeCrescenzo: Now you are seeing a very harsh situation, where people are going to the supermarket and then make grocery shop and then you don’t want to pay for it. And the answer from the state was police and even the army. So now they are talking about giving some funds and finance to the township in order for them to give people the money just to buy food.
Jaisal Noor: Years of austerity measures have weakened the healthcare system ahead of the crisis sparked by COVID-19.
Luca DeCrescenzo: We have a universal healthcare system, but it’s also real that in the last 10 years or more, there were a lot of cuts on the budget. This really was one of the reason why it was put under much stress under this emergency situation and it’s maybe one of the reasons why we have registered so many deaths, actually even in the north of Italy.
Jaisal Noor: As the United States surpasses Italy and China for the greatest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases, an Italian doctor has this advice for the United States.
Dr. Alessandro Olivi: Listen to the scientists and to the public health officials.
Jaisal Noor: Says Dr. Alessandro Olivi, who spent 27 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, serving as Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and is the Director of the Division of Neurosurgical Oncology.
Dr. Alessandro Olivi: Fauci, the confronted with who is probably the reasoning arm of that administration. And certainly be prepared with the hospitals that are able to change very rapidly the number of the patients with the tremendous needs.
Jaisal Noor: The situation in Italy is a human tragedy of significant proportions, as Olivi, who heads the neurosurgery department at the prestigious Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Just like the US, Italy has experienced the devastating effect of a lack of medical equipment and personal protective equipment, or PPE.
Dr. Alessandro Olivi: As far as the shortage of PPE and then the ventilators, no question that this has been, there are a lot of issues about shortage from masks and other equipment and ventilators and in all honesty, the many situation. I know this for a fact, as firsthand information, there have been decisions, very tough decisions that we made in Lombardy of doctor intubating people because there were not enough ventilators or places in the ICU.
Jaisal Noor: For the Real News, this is Jaisal Noor.
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