WE NEED A CONGRESS #WHOCARESFORUS INCLUDING PRISONERS AND THEIR JAILERS
ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
COVID-19 doesn’t distinguish between prisoners and people living on the outside. I thank Congress for loosening sentencing restrictions that keep federal prisons overcrowded. But Congress cannot count on DOJ to do the job. In the next relief package, Congress needs to: 1) specify more clearly than in the CARES Act that DOJ must releasenon-violent prisoners to home confinement, regardless of how long they have already served. 2) adequately fund prison health care. 3) fund enough medical equipment and require social distancing protections to protect prisoners and prison staff.
CALL SENATOR MERKLEY
CALL SENATOR WYDEN
ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPS
Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here.
SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
COVID-19 doesn’t distinguish between prisoners and people living on the outside. I thank Congress for loosening sentencing restrictions that keep federal prisons overcrowded. But Congress cannot count on DOJ to do a good job. In the next relief package, Congress needs to: 1) specify more clearly than in the CARES Act that DOJ must release non-violent prisoners to home confinement, regardless of how long they have already served. 2) adequately fund prison health care. 3) fund enough medical equipment and require social distancing protections to protect prisoners and prison staff.
CALL SUZANNE BONAMICI (OR-01)
CALL GREG WALDEN (OR-02)
CALL BLUMENAUER (OR-03)
CALL PETER DEFAZIO (OR-04)
CALL KURT SCHRADER (OR-05)
ACTION THREE: HELP REGISTER VOTERS FROM HOME
Organizing for the 2020 Election is going VIRTUAL!
- Find virtual events at http://swingleft.org/
- Host a virtual letter-writing party! Get started here: http://swingleft.org/p/virtual-letter-writing-party
- You can still call voters in Wisconsin about their April 7th election. Sign up for training and call info here. http://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/263614/
Stay tuned — more activities to come!
BACKGROUND:
We have learned that packing people into close quarters is a recipe for a COVID-19 death trap. Think nursing homes, cruise ships, a Navy ship, pork plants — and prisons.
In fact, some of the worst outbreaks in the country have occurred in our 60 federal facilities. With nearly 155,000 prisoners and employ 36,000 staff,
- 540 inmates and 353 staff tested positive for COVID-19.
- 23 inmates have died; 0 staff have died.
In response, Congress gave DOJ authority in the CARES ACT to allow non-violent prisoners to serve their sentences in home confinement. DOJ first ordered early release for some inmates, then pulled back, leaving inmates, families and even a federal judge confused and irate.
DOJ cannot be trusted to do this job competently and humanely. Prison staff started to quarantine prisoners, then released them back to the general prison population. Congress needs to step in again toprotect prisoners and prison staff.
1) Require DOJ to immediately plan for and release to home confinement non-violent prisoners, regardless of how long they have already served.
2) Adequately fund prison health care.
3) Fund enough medical equipment and require social distancing protections.
We need a Congress #WhoCaresForUs
