| Happening this Wednesday, Nov 18 12 – 2 pm COVID is spiking yet again! CDCR’s neglect is killing incarcerated people. Oakland Abolition & Solidarity is calling for its supporters to join this Wednesdays actions organized by Essie Justice Group, You can join with a car caravan circling CDCR headquarters in Sacramento or you can join the zap and simultaneously take over their phone lines and inboxes!! [To RSVP for the car caravan: bit.ly/cdcrprotest ]  Background “In the last two weeks, COVID-19 numbers have spiked so quickly in California’s prisons that incarcerated people at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison have mounted a hunger strike to call for immediate action. Essie Justice Group is urging CDCR and Governor Newsom to follow CDC recommendations and significantly reduce prison populations via release and take all possible measures to ensure that incarcerated people have what they need to have a fighting chance against the virus. At the start of the pandemic, Essie Justice Group launched Lives on the Line — a campaign led by women with incarcerated loved ones centering the urgent demand to release incarcerated people and to bring our loved ones home. Now, due to CDCR shirking its responsibility to provide our loved ones with basics like soap and PPE, Essie has partnered with international soapmaker Dr. Bronner’s to get soap and hand sanitizer to as many incarcerated people as possible. However, most state prisons are refusing to accept and outright ignoring the donations. By refusing even free supplies, CDCR has made it clear that the issue is not cost, rather the department’s ongoing contempt for the lives and safety of incarcerated people. We will not be silent in the face of cruelty, mistreatment, and CDCR sentencing our loved ones to death.” -Essie Justice Group livesontheline.org Sample script/email “Hello, I am requesting immediate attention and action on the COVID-19 crisis happening in California’s prisons. Right now COVID numbers are spiking in prisons, with over 1,300 cases in just the last two weeks. As a concerned constituent, I am imploring the Governor and the CDCR secretary to immediately reduce the overall prison population starting with people who are high risk like those over 60 years old, pregnant people, and immunocompromised people. I also demand that until people can be released, that CDCR take immediate action to protect the health of everyone in their custody, starting with giving people free soap, sanitizer and personal protective equipment (PPE). Every single person in custody is a human being who you are legally obligated to keep alive until their release. I am urging you to intervene in the ongoing neglect that is allowing COVID-19 to infect and kill incarcerated people. Thank you for your time” Numbers and addresses – CDCR Secretary Kathleen Allison – Kathleen.allison@cdcr.ca.gov (916) 323-6001 – Governor Gavin Newsom — https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/ (916) 445-2841 (Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then press 6 to speak to a representative) – CDCR Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Sandra Uribe Sandy.Uribe@cdcr.ca.gov Tips – If they press you to leave your name, know that you don’t have to do that. If you don’t want them to log your phone number you can dial *67 first to hide your number. – If a line is busy or not picking up, you can move on to the next number or leave a voicemail or circle back after emailing. If the lines are jammed, THAT’S A GOOD THING! That means we got all kinds of people participating and taking over their phones! – Tell us how it went! We want to know! Hit us up and we can add your voice to the campaign! |
Oakland Abolition & Solidarity • Oakland, CA 