California inmates began accepting prison-issued meals on Thursday, ending a hunger strike that has gone on for two months.
According to The Associated Press, more than 30,000 inmates in the California prison system have been refusing meals since early July. The number fell to just 100 this week, and the strike effectively ended when two Democratic state legislators promised to hold hearings addressing the inmates’ complaints regarding prison isolation policies.
Strikers complained of ice cold cells, and a lack of blankets and medical care, The Los Angeles Times reports. Inmates have also told their lawyers that several dozen prisoners were moved to Pelican Bay State Prison on a bus without medical workers.
The number of prisoners requiring medical attention due to the strike rose this week, as well, with 32 strikers receiving medical attention just over the past four days. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary Jeff Beard said in a statement, “We are pleased this dangerous strike has been called off before any inmates became seriously ill.”