ACLU of Connecticut has filed a second lawsuit seeking to force the state to release or otherwise protect incarcerated people from COVID-19.

The ACLU sued Connecticut in the state superior court earlier this month. They filed the new class action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of five people incarcerated in state prisons. The new lawsuit also alleges inmates who test positive are sent to a high security prison in Somers criticized by a UN human rights expert.

“The number have surged. They’re terrifying. The mass outbreaks in every prison just push us to use every tool at our disposal to try to protect public health right now,” says Elana Bildner with the ACLU.

More than 300 Connecticut inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. The ACLU has called on the state to release vulnerable prisoners, like those with pre-existing conditions, along with those in pre-trial detention or near the end of their sentence.

State officials say they’ve dramatically reduced the prison population and have safety measures in place to protect sick inmates.

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