CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — Inmates at Rhode Island's state prison live under “inhumane and hazardous” conditions, according to the families and supporters of prisoners who gathered at the Cranston facility to protest.

Lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic force prisoners to spend 23-plus hours a day behind bars, according to Direct Action for Rights and Equality’s Behind the Walls Committee, the Prisoners Family Union, and Black and Pink Providence, who met at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston on Friday.

The protesters called for increased recreation time outside cells, resumed access to educational programs and good time, the installation of more phones, and renovations and improvements to the facilities, in addition to better medical care and protective gear against COVID-19, The Providence Journal reported.

One inmate wrote that inside the maximum-security unit said there was rust and mold on the cell walls, and problems with the plumbing.

A Department of Corrections spokesman acknowledged that maintenance of a facility that is 140 years old presents a challenge, but said “our facilities are among the cleanest and safest in the country, and that includes maximum security" ... and “Any claim to the contrary is simply not true.”