FRANKFORT, Ky. — On Saturday at Kentucky’s capitol, two separate protests took place. One was a Freedom Rally against Gov. Andy Beshear’s handling of coronavirus. The other was about the conditions at Green River Correctional Complex that has a number of COVID-19 cases. At one point, the two became one.
At the Freedom Rally, Connie Kerth said her civil rights have been violated.
“Someone takes our liberties away from us without our choice, prohibits us from going out, prohibits us from driving in our car by ourselves, prohibits us from going to church, prohibits us from doing business for our livelihood,” Kerth said.
She was one of the protesters rallying because she believes the COVID-19 shutdown was unconstitutional.
“I’ve never been a political activist in all my years. I vote every election because that’s my right. I’ve never come to rallies. I just started, and it’s because of this,” Kerth told Spectrum News 1.
Shortly after the Freedom Rally started, the group Prison Wives of Green River Correctional Complex (GRCC) protested in front of the governor’s mansion due to the high number of positive COVID-19 cases reported there. Phoenix Shepherd said her 32-year-old husband was convicted of murder at 16. She and the other members want some inmates released to reduce the spread.
“Our demands are for the governor to release juvenile offenders, first-time offenders, anyone over the age of 55, and anyone with underlying health conditions. The reason why we are requesting that is because these men cannot social distance in that prison,” Shepherd said.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to the governor’s office and the Department of Corrections for their response to these demands. However, Spectrum News 1 did not receive a response.
The minimum/medium-security prison in Western Kentucky has had a total of 407 test positive for COVID-19 between staff and inmates, according to the Department of Corrections website’s update Friday. Fifty staff have tested positive with 39 of those recovered. In total, 357 inmates have tested positive and 41 of those have recovered. Two inmates have died because of COVID-19. The cause of a third death is pending after an autopsy was performed. However, that individual did test positive for COVID-19.
Shepard said she speaks to her husband two to three days a week, and he has told her conditions aren’t good. She said he has said there is no hand sanitizer, and showers are permitted every two to three days. He also said inmates have to wash their clothes in a sink, and the hot meal is cold by the time it’s served.
Over a dozen women with men they love in GRCC were there to be heard. The group received a bigger platform when the Freedom Rally invited them to speak to their audience.
“These men are incarcerated, and we understand that they are incarcerated. However, they are still human. You cannot say together Kentucky if you forget about the people that are incarcerated. You cannot,” Shepherd said in the microphone to Freedom Rally goers.
Overall, the group received a positive reception from Freedom Rally goers, but some expressed disagreement when Shepherd talked about the demand to release some inmates.
Afterward, Shepherd and the other protestors for GRCC were back in front of the governor’s mansion.
Shortly after, Kerth came up to Shepherd to offer any support she could for their cause.
The two protests Saturday had a different message for Beshear.
“He cannot dictate without the constitution behind him,” Kerth said.
“I would ask that they go to the prison and see what’s going on with these guys because what they are being told is not accurate,” Shepherd said as a message to Beshear and Executive Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown.
However, both protests on Saturday want the governor to listen.