Prisons and jails are unsafe places at any time.
But during a pandemic, the combination of overcrowding, insufficient medical attention, and insufficient hygiene in prisons and jails can be an effective death sentence.
That’s not okay. And it’s not okay for elected officials to allow it to happen.
Here’s how you can help (with scripts adapted from our friends at Families for Justice with Healing).
Call Governor Charlie Baker
Call Governor Charlie Baker at (617) 725-4005 to demand that he use his powers of clemency.
Here’s a sample script:
Hello my name is ___________________, and I’m calling because I’m concerned about the well-being of incarcerated people. Incarceration is always harmful; right now release is a matter of life or death. Please do everything in your power to make sure as many people as possible are released from jails and prisons as soon as possible, including granting clemency for people who are older than 50 and people who have health conditions.
Call AG Maura Healey
Call AG Maura Healey at (617) 727-2200 [say “constituent services”] to demand that she use her powers to support decarceration.
Here’s a sample script:
Hello my name is ___________________ , and I’m calling because I’m concerned about the well-being of incarcerated people. Incarceration is always harmful; right now release is a matter of life or death. As the Chief Law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth, you can order the District Attorneys to decline to prosecute new cases, support motions to reduce bail to personal recognizance, and support motions that would lead to vulnerable people’s release to protect their health. Please do everything in your power to stop the flow of people into jails and prisons and release as many people as possible as soon as possible. Thank you.
Call Your State Legislators
Check to see if your legislators support Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa’s decarceration legislation here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/HD4963.
Then call them to urge them to support or thank them if they have. You can find their info here.
Here’s a sample script:
Hello my name is _____________________, and I’m a constituent from [address]. I’m calling because I’m concerned about the well-being of incarcerated people. Incarceration is always harmful; right now release is a matter of life or death. Please do everything in your power to make sure as many people as possible are released from jails and prisons as soon as possible. Please support Emergency Decarceration Legislation (HD4963) and please ask Governor Baker to prioritize releasing people as part of his response to COVID19, including granting clemency for people who are older than 50 and people who have health conditions.
Our friends at Families for Justice at Healing are asking for report-backs from these calls. If you can, fill this out after you make these calls.
