Death of Hunger-Striking California Prisoner Sparks New Outrage over Inmates’ Suffering
Questions are mounting over the state of California’s prison system following the death of a hunger-striking inmate protesting conditions behind bars. Christian Gomez, 27, died at Corcoran State Prison, just six days after he and about 30 fellow prisoners began refusing food. Gomez was one of thousands of California inmates who have staged hunger strikes in 12 prisons since July after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California prison overcrowding was causing "needless suffering and death" and ordered the state to reduce its number of prisoners. We speak with Gomez’s sister Yajaira Lopez and to attorney Carol Strickland of the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition. "When he did get [to Corcoran State Prison], he did explain to us that he was participating in a hunger strike," Lopez says. "They were fighting for just fair treatment." [includes rush transcript]
Guests:
Yajaira Lopez, the older sister of Christian Gomez, a 27-year-old man who died while on a hunger strike at the Corcoran State Prison in California. Gomez died six days after he and 31 other inmates in the prison’s Administrative Segregation Unit began refusing food to protest restrictions on access to adequate healthcare, nutritious food, and legal services.
Carol Strickman, staff attorney at Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and a member of the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition.
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