The ACLU of Texas and a coalition of civil rights leaders sent almost 500 letters last week to criminal justice officials urging them to take public health experts’ advice and release individuals who are at high risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 from county jails. Specifically, the focus is placed on communities in jails with populations identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as vulnerable, as well as people currently in pretrial detention. … Public health experts and groups such as the National Commission on Correctional Health Care agree that incarcerated people are at high risk for infection by SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. By following the recommendations outlined in the letter, civil rights leaders believe state and local officials can help stem the spread of the virus in vulnerable communities and the public at large. The letter was signed by the ACLU of Texas, the Afiya Center, Alliance for Safety and Justice, Faith in Texas, Grassroots Leadership, Next Generation Action Network, Restoring Justice, Texas Advocates for Justice, Texas Appleseed, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Equal Access Fund, Texas Fair Defense Project, Texas Jail Project, UT Austin Senior Lecturer Michele Deitc, and the Workers Defense Project. Excerpted from The Dallas Examiner. Read the full article here. Read more about our response to COVID-19 here.
Tiara Cooper in FOX4 News: Five Inmates in Dallas County Jail Diagnosed with COVID-19
At least five inmates who have been in the Dallas County jail have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown said the first inmate to test positive was a male inmate in his 40s who had been there since December. He was housed in a shared unit with about 50 other inmates. Those inmates have since been screened and at least four also tested positive for COVID-19. … “I have loved ones who have loved ones in that jail,” said Tiara Cooper, [Live Free Texas organizer with Faith in Texas and] a former inmate. “So for me, it’s a mixture of confusion and lack of transparency.” Inmate advocacy groups said they want the sheriff’s department to let the public know how often the jail is being cleaned. They want inmates to have more access to cleaning products and laundry facilities. And they said Dallas County should follow the lead of other states that have released some low-level and especially vulnerable inmates. Excerpted from Fox4 News. Read the full article here.
Faith in Texas and Partners Call on Judges, Sheriff, to Protect Incarcerated People in the COVID-19 Crisis
For Immediate Release Faith in Texas and partners are calling on the Dallas County Felony and Misdemeanor Criminal Judges, and Sheriff Marian Brown to act now to protect all of us –– our incarcerated loved ones, and those who work in courts, jails, and prisons, as well as our entire community. Read the full letters below and add your signature to the petition here. ___ Addressed to: Hon. Tammy Kemp (view pdf) Hon. Lisa Green (view pdf) Sheriff Marian Brown (view pdf) As formerly incarcerated people ourselves, and those who are leading grassroots work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations, we are reaching out to you with great concern for our incarcerated loved ones. In Texas, we are just weeks into an unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19. Earlier today, the first positive case of infection in the county jail was reported. We must act decisively and responsibly to protect all of us — our incarcerated loved ones, and those who work in courts, jails, and prisons, as well as our entire community. We know that you share this concern. To stem the spread of this deadly virus, it is imperative that we drastically reduce the number of people in jail and limit new admissions to exceptional circumstances. We are asking you, Hon. Tammy Kemp, and your colleagues to do the following: immediately release anyone who is being held pretrial, all people held on probation and parole technical violation detainers or sentences, and to immediately release all people serving a sentence who are within six months of their release date. Please see the attached letter from supporting organizations with whom we are working in solidarity for this urgent effort. We look forward to working with you to protect our incarcerated loved ones who are especially vulnerable to a COVID-19 outbreak. Thank you.
