Protesters stood outside the California Correctional Institute in Tehachapi on Thursday, expressing concerns regarding COVID-19 and demanding better conditions for inmates.

In an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is releasing more inmates from state prisons by the end of August.

According to the CDCR's website the California Correctional Institution (CCI) has seen a total of 366 cases, with 268 still active. Protesters say they are angered by these numbers.

Tyrone Scholes, a protestor, said, "It's disappointing and it's heartbreaking because shouldn't nobody be here… shouldn't nobody be having to worry about if their loved one is going to die in the hands of state property."

The CCI's public information officer Nadia Erwin said the prison staff has been doing everything they can.
Erwin said, "We are on a daily basis since the COVID pandemic has begun, okay, tried every aspect and diligently trying to rectify the pandemic and trying to condense it and minimize it."