People in prisons, jails, and immigration jails are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreaks. We know that prisons and jails are already and inherently sites of violence and death. We also know that in times of crisis—whether climate catastrophe or mass quarantine—conditions of confinement only worsen. Examples of this include increased reliance on solitary confinement, limits on or elimination of visits from loved ones, increased exposure to unsanitary or dangerous living conditions, refusal to transport people to court dates, cancelation of court proceedings, and other punitive measures.
As community bail and bond funds, we are fighting to abolish detention in all of its forms and for all individuals. In times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, we uplift our call to #FreeThemAll with more urgency than ever. There are local and state-specific responses to the current COVID-19 crisis, many with specific calls to release individuals in local jails, prisons, and ICE detention. We hope this is an additional resource for community bail and bond funds to support and amplify efforts to release as many people as possible.
For more information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fwcPALi59SFzdASd7baO–_87DNz5vrSwviGxGpwRqU/edit
Anonymous on March 26, 2020