For Immediate Release Faith in Texas and partners are calling on the Dallas County Felony and Misdemeanor Criminal Judges, Sheriff Marian Brown, Dallas County Commissioners, and District Attorney John Creuzot 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 platform below and add your signature to the petition here. ___ To the Leadership of Dallas County and the City of Dallas: As formerly incarcerated people ourselves, and those who are leading grassroots work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations, we are reaching out to you on behalf of the thousands of people who are currently incarcerated or under community supervision within our county. While you may receive other recommendations on the growing concerns regarding COVID-19, we represent the community that will be directly affected by the successes or failures of health-related planning and implementation in our community’s jails. Heightened concern over the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped our communities. As of March 23, Texas has seen a steady increase in the number of cases, even though testing is still widely unavailable. Each day, the number of people infected with the virus in Dallas County continues to rise with no evidence of relief coming soon. We have taken the necessary precautions to keep our neighbors and families safe. We have limited public gatherings, our schools have closed indefinitely, restaurants closed to dine-in patrons, businesses are operating remotely, and increasing numbers of people are isolating in order to discourage the spread of infection. However, insufficient preparation has been taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 through one of the largest and most vulnerable institutions in our community: the Dallas County Jail at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards population report for March 2020 lists Dallas County as having the second greatest jail population in Texas, followed only by Harris County. At this time, Dallas County is housing over 3,000 persons on pre-trial felony charges, about 300 on pre-trial misdemeanor charges, and has a total population of almost 5,700. Furthermore, the TCJS notes that the average rate of the population at Lew Sterrett is around 5,000. The individuals crowded into our jails are medically vulnerable and held in close contact with each other, without frequent and adequate access to water and soap. Governor Abbott issued an executive order on March 19 telling all Texans to avoid social gatherings and groups of more than ten people. Incarcerated populations don’t have the luxury of “social distancing” to protect their health. In a context where healthcare is deficient, housing conditions are squalid and individual needs are neglected, this is a recipe for the rapid spread of disease through correction officer contact and other personnel who could facilitate community spread throughout the jail. Recently released individuals have started to speak out about the notoriously unsanitary and overcrowded conditions in our jails. The lack of adequate hygiene supplies for indigent inmates; the need for more frequent laundering of uniforms; and the lack of mandate for cleanliness within the jail. This inhumane situation puts our entire county at risk. Each day, jails, unlike prisons, see a large number of people arrested and confined, while many others are released back to their community. The revolving door of incarcerated individuals, coupled with the daily influx of jail staff, vendors and medical professionals who return home, provides multiple avenues for COVID-19 to enter the jail and exit back into our neighborhoods and homes. COVID-19 poses the greatest risk to the elderly and those who are immunocompromised because of preexisting medical conditions. Elderly people are at the greatest risk for COVID-19, yet pose the least public safety risk to our communities. By keeping vulnerable individuals behind bars, we are increasing the likelihood that COVID-19 will not only spread throughout the jail system but that the virus will be routinely transmitted to even larger populations outside jail facilities. Finally, when vulnerable individuals are released from county jail facilities, it is imperative that we ensure that they are not forced into homelessness or left without adequate means of survival and healthcare. Our unhoused community is at heightened risk of not only contracting COVID-19 but of dying from the virus. Across the country other jurisdictions have already taken measures to protect the health of incarcerated people, including Baltimore, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Ohio courts in Cuyahoga and Hamilton county, Denver, and Philadelphia. In Texas, both Travis and Bexar county have taken action to reduce their jail populations. At a time when Dallas could be looked to as a leader in its response to COVID-19 we are already behind. Given the urgency of this situation, we are calling on the Dallas County Commissioners & Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, Dallas County Criminal Judges (felony and misdemeanor), Dallas County Parkland Correctional Health Services, City of Dallas Chair of Public Safety, Adam McGough, Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall to act immediately to protect the lives of the people impacted by our county’s jail, confinement, and court system. This includes individuals in custody and jail staff, as well as their family members and communities. With COVID-19 threatening the health and lives of untold numbers of Dallas residents, confinement in a jail facility for even a few hours, could turn into a death sentence for many. To this end, we urge the aforementioned leaders and administrative entities in Dallas County and the city of Dallas to act in accordance with the recommendations below: Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown Address care inside. Immediately develop and implement testing protocols for all people who live, work and visit inside jails. Publish departmental COVID-19 protocols and provide regular online updates for the public, officials and media on the impact of COVID-19 on people inside the jails, including data on both incarcerated people and staff. Make transparent the exact steps that will be taken
Rev. Wes Helm on WPAB: Advocacy Groups Call for Rent & Utility Relief During Coronavirus Emergency
Advocacy groups are calling for rent and utility relief during the coronavirus emergency A petition effort calls for the City of Dallas and Dallas County to place an immediate moratorium on all evictions and utility shut-offs. In the meantime, Wes Helm with ‘Faith in Texas‘ suggests that residents contact their utility, as some are already deferring payments. The organization is also looking beyond the immediate emergency at how to make impacted residents whole in the long-term. … “During the duration of this crisis, and the months of economic hardship that will follow, we believe it is a moral and public health imperative that people’s homes and essential utilities are secure. Sign our letter to encourage our city and county officials to take the strongest possible action to ensure people are able to stay in their homes during and after the COVID-19 crisis.” Excerpted from WBAP. Read the full article and listen to the audio clip here. View updates on our COVID-19 recovery and response efforts here.
Faith in Texas and Partners Call on Elected Officials to Protect Our Community From Eviction and Utility Shut-Off During the COVID-19 Crisis
For Immediate Release On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Faith in Texas and other members of the Communities United for a Greater Dallas Coalition petitioned Dallas city and county officials to establish a moratorium on all evictions and utility shut-offs for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis and 90 days thereafter. Read the full letter below and add your signature here: bit.ly/covid19protection __ Mayor Johnson and Judge Jenkins, As members of Communities United for a Greater Dallas, we are requesting that all legal powers available to Dallas City and County effect a moratorium on evictions and utility disconnections for a period of up to 90-days following the end of the COVID-19 crisis. We are aware that the specific time citizens are being asked to “shelter in place” in their homes is currently a moving target. During the duration of this crisis, and the months of economic hardship that will follow, we believe it is a moral and public health imperative that people’s homes and essential utilities are secure. We compliment you both on your quick and clear leadership of our area, and specifically your calls for people to utilize intentional social distancing in stopping COVID-19. This de facto requires that people have secure homes where they can shelter and either remain healthy or recover to health. When our vulnerable communities are sure their home will be secure, they are less likely to work while sick or otherwise circumvent social distancing practices. Furthermore, many of our residents’ jobs will be impacted by layoffs, closures, etc. and will struggle to earn a paycheck during this time. Evictions and utility disconnections put people at risk for either temporary or permanent homelessness, therefore making our public health situation far worse for both their families and the community. The 90-day extension is necessary because many hourly workers, service workers, and those whose ability to earn a paycheck are impacted by this, will not have ready funds to catch up with bills on day one of the crisis ending. It would be cruel for a family to make it through the crisis, only to lose their housing while they are trying valiantly to catch up with their bills in the first months that follow. The balance of justice and compassion is an essential part of the culture of Dallas. If we are to ask people to stay at home, we must do all we can to keep their homes safe. We are aware that legal responsibility for evictions and utilities spans both the jurisdiction of city and county. This is why this letter is addressed to both of you. We would be happy to forward the letter or discuss this situation with any additional staff who might be helpful in seeing these steps taken. In sum, we ask the following: An immediate moratorium on all home evictions and home utility disconnections. That this moratorium extends 90-days beyond such time as the request for persons to shelter at home ends. Again, we appreciate your steady and calm leadership. We know you both have a heart for compassion and justice for all our citizens, and trust that you will take all appropriate measures to safeguard our community. Signed, Communities United for a Greater Dallas
