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Crosscurrents

His Father’s In Prison. And He’s Fighting To Prevent Outbreak In SF Jails

Courtesy of Chesa Boudin
Chesa Boudin while visiting his father, David Gilbert, in prison shortly before being elected San Francisco District Attorney.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has often described walking through steel gates to visit his parents in prison as a kid. Now a correctional officer who works at the prison in New York State where his father is in custody has tested positive for COVID-19.

Like a lot of family members of people incarcerated, he’s worried about being left in the dark as the virus spreads. As a prosecutor, he’s also working to reduce the risks of an outbreak here in San Francisco's jails. He’s instructed his staff to examine cases to see who can be released early.

"You know, right now, the single biggest risk to public safety is COVID-19. To keep us safe, we need to find ways to limit the spread of COVID-19 and make sure the jail doesn't become a vector for the disease."

The jail population in San Francisco dropped by 25 percent in March as officials in the county responded to the coronavirus threat.  

Click the play button above to listen to the full interview.

Alice Woelfle helped produce this interview.

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Crosscurrents COVID UpdatesHealth