Caravans of Protesters Call on States, Federal Government to Release Community Members in Jail and Prison to Decrease Exposure to COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C., – Family members and activists continue to advocate for community members in jail, detention centers and prisons around the country to be released. In Washington, D.C., California, Georgia, and Kentucky, loved ones and community members have taken to leaving their safe havens to join car rallies in an effort to safely protest and demand policymakers #FreeThemAll. The protests continue today -- Freedom Friday -- as grassroots organizations, Puente Human Rights Movement in Arizona, and New Florida Majority, demand jails, detention centers, and prisons provide adequate health care and -- most important -- release people in detention.
“Medical neglect is the norm in prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers so COVID-19 is a death sentence for many on the inside,” said Losmin Jimenez, Project Director and Senior Attorney for the Immigrant Justice Project at Advancement Project National Office. “You cannot socially distance inside a jail, prison, or a detention center. Family members are not able to visit loved ones during this crisis so these car caravans are so important because when they hear the car honks and the chants, it lets people on the inside know that there are people fighting for them and that they are not forgotten.”
Freedom Friday is a national, weekly movement that serves as a form of protest in our new age of physical distancing. Activists keep their distance whether on foot, bicycle or in a vehicle while circling a jail, detention center, prison, or government facility. The goal is to peacefully protest in several locations around the country to get ahead of a COVID-19 outbreak in detention centers, jails, and prisons.
Last week, Arizona-based Puente Human Rights Movement participated in a similar protest where members received 2,000 petition signatures and hosted a car rally outside the Arizona Department of Corrections Office (DOC) in response to 20 ADOC employees, and 17 people who are incarcerated tested positive for COVID-19. Today, the organization will join New Florida Majority and dozens of other groups in caravaning today to local jails, prisons, and detention centers.
“People detained at these facilities are only being provided a 4-inch bar of soap for two weeks, no adequate disinfection procedures, and there continues to be an exchange of detained people among the jails to prison and yards,” Erika Ovalle, a Puente member. “Masks are not being used in the infirmary allowing patients with immune disorders in danger. This is inhumane, unconstitutional and there’s no reason this should be happening.”
Advancement Project National Office has sued several cities and counties around the country in Missouri, Michigan, and Florida and they are planning litigation next week in Louisiana, alleging unconstitutional and inhumane practices in jails and prisons during a health pandemic. It has also sent official letters to policy makers in Pennsylvania and Arizona urging state officials to end the flow of people in jails, detention centers and prisons, and release community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Winning in two jurisdictions, judges in Miami and Detroit have already required facilities to make appropriate changes. Advancement Project National Office will continue to fight for the release of community members. The litigation is part of Advancement Project National Office’s #FreeAndSafe campaign [freeandsafenow.org]. And keeping with its commitment to social justice, Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream company, is supporting the effort with an online tool that helps people connect with their state and local officials demanding they are #FreeAndSafe from the coronavirus.
"It's nearly impossible to practice social distance and stay safe in jails, prisons or detention centers. As the number of cases in Florida prisons keeps growing, we are asking for mass decarceration. This is a matter of life, death and public safety," said Valencia Gunder, Campaign Director for New Florida Majority. "COVID-19 is showing us that we have more jail beds than hospital beds, that over criminalization is at an all time high. Either through legal action or protests, we are asking our elected leaders to take a deeper look at our mass incarceration problem and make the decision to show better examples of what a safe community is by releasing our people to keep them alive."
Families and communities will join both rallies as a representation and voice of their loved ones in the prison system to ensure detention centers, prisons and jails that make up the crimmigration system (immigration and criminal justice) take the necessary steps to make sure these sites do not become death traps.
