Top:Modesto Community Hospital, Sept. 2000 (Gina and her daughter Amanda).
Bottom: Grace and Gina.
Photos: Grace Ortega
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A Crisis of Care: Gina's Story (Part 1)
March 26, 2008
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The story of Gina Muniz, her life and her death as a prisoner of the California Correctional System is, ultimately, the story of a family. Not a perfect family, but one based on faith and commitment to each other. A family not so different from ones many of us know. But Gina's story is also a recounting of how a state-sanctioned life sentence became a state-sponsored death sentence. A story far too common in California prisons.
At the heart of the matter is this: Gina Muniz should not have died. And for this reason, it's important for each of us to know and understand her story.
This is the first of a three-part series, "A Crisis of Care," a look inside the prison health care system in the state of California. In this first show "Gina's Story," we'll hear from her family. The people she left behind. The family she was taken from.
Featuring:
The Family – Grace Ortega, mom; David Ortega, step-dad; Larry Muniz, brother; Amanda, Gina's daughter; Angelina & Larry Jr., Larry's kids; David Ortega, Gina's stepbrother.
Executive Producer/Host: Tena Rubio
Producer and Associate Producer: Andrew Stelzer and Puck Lo
Intern: Elena Botkin-Levy
Executive Director: Lisa Rudman
Much appreciation to the Omnia Foundation who helped make this show possible and to Matt Fidler of “Fidler, Sound and Media” who wrote and produced the music.
For more information:
All of Us or None
1904 Franklin Street, 9th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
www.allofusornone.org
California Prison Health Care Receivership Corporation
P.O. Box 4038
Sacramento, CA 95812-4038
916-323-1923
www.cprinc.org
Critical Resistance – National Office
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504
Oakland, CA 94612
510-444-0484
crnational@criticalresistance.org
Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118
212-290-4700
hrwnyc@hrw.org
www.hrw.org
Justice Now
1322 Webster Street, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
510-839-7654
www.jnow.org
Justice Policy Institute
1003 K Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20001
202-558-7974
info@justicepolicy.org
www.justicepolicy.org
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
1540 Market Street, Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-255-7036
info@prisonerswithchildren.org
www.prisonerswithchildren.org
The Sentencing Project
514 Tenth Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
202-628-0871
staff@sentencingproject.org
www.sentencingproject.org
U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Statistics
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-0765
askbjs@usdoj.gov
http://ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
Women’s Prison Association
110 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
646-336-6100
www.wpaonline.org
Other information:
Analysis of CDCR Death Reviews 2006
www.cprinc.org/docs/resources/AnalysisOfCDCRDeathReviews2006.pdf
Bureau of Justice Statistics Prisoners 2006
http://ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/p06.pdf
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
www.cdcr.ca.gov
Music:
Matt Fidler of "Fidler, Sound and Media"