Recently, advocates and allies of incarcerated women in New York State have seen concerning reports about the health and safety of those at state prisons and city jail facilities. As women, mothers, academics, religious and non-profit leaders, health care providers, and formerly incarcerated advocates, we recognize the imminent danger facing incarcerated women and mothers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with the Women’s Community Justice Association (WCJA), we as a collective have formed the Justice for Women COVID-19 Task Force as a statewide response to urging the protection of women behind bars during this unprecedented pandemic. Our mission is to uphold and protect the inherent dignity, value, and human rights of incarcerated women in New York State.
Last week, our task force sent a letter to key public officials at the city and state level--including Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio--to demand protections and actions to safeguard the health and wellbeing of women who are imprisoned or detained, with support from more than 200 grassroots individuals.
You can get involved now by registering for our weekly Justice for Women Task Force Zoom meeting
We called on Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, DOCCS, and DOC to:
Immediately release anyone at high risk for infection, including those who are older, pregnant, those with underlying health conditions, and mothers with babies in the prison nurseries.
Release not only those convicted of non-violent offenses but older people since research by leading criminologists has shown that older people in prison convicted of violent crimes are the least likely to re-offend and end up back in prison.
Immediately release those held on technical parole violations, all incarcerated people who have been granted clemency, and those within a year of their release date.
Release all women to the least restrictive environment possible. Any person who can be moved to community supervision should be.
Award clemency for women who have applied for consideration.
Create clear and transparent procedures to protect the women inside medically.
Provide public dissemination of the 7 precautions being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of current infections, and the demographic breakdown of the population.
Provide free telecommunications while family visits are suspended.
Appoint a family liaison in each facility for families to call and receive information about the status of their incarcerated loved one.
You can directly support our sisters, friends, mothers, and other women incarcerated in NYS by making a supportive gift to The Justice for Women COVID-19 Task Force. Your contribution will provide resources to safeguard the health and safety of all incarcerated women. During the month of May, we will send every mother in the state prison and city jail systems a Mother's Day card, and each woman will receive a COVID-19 safety kit that includes personal protective equipment, feminine hygiene products, and other necessities. Please help us take this action by donating today!
You can also show your support for WCJA by following them on Facebook and Twitter, and use the social share buttons below to spread the message across your own networks using the hashtag #FreeThemAll4PublicHealth
