Protest Held Outside Norco Prison With Over 400 Coronavirus Cases
NORCO (CBSLA) – A protest was held Monday outside a Norco prison where hundreds of inmates have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
The protest was being held outside the California Rehabilitation Center, where 436 inmates have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Through Monday, at least 129 inmates in the Norco prison were currently infected with coronavirus, according to the latest numbers from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
There have been no coronavirus deaths among inmates. However, back in May, an officer assigned to the prison died after contracting the disease. 53-year-old Correctional Officer Danny Mendoza passed away on May 30 following a battle with coronavirus. He was a 24-year veteran of the department.
So far, there have been 89 cases among staff at the Norco prison.
The CDCR has already granted early release to thousands of inmates in order to protect its most vulnerable population from the spread of COVID-19. In mid-July, the department announced it was planning to release 8,000 inmates by the end of August.
This was in addition to 10,000 inmates who have already been released since March.
