take action to save lives: #freethemnowny

The COVID-19 crisis is impacting us all, but one area of this crisis has remained hidden in plain sight: the spread of COVID-19 in jails and prisons across the state is a public health disaster “unfolding before our eyes.” As of January 27th, almost 5,000 incarcerated individuals in New York State prisons have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Correctional Association of New York, the COVID-19 positivity rate in New York prisons is 16.5%, which more than double the overall statewide positivity rate. Additionally, New York is lagging behind other states in the region in providing access to the COVID-19 vaccine to incarcerated individuals. 

This is unacceptable! To reduce the impact of COVID-19 on New Yorkers, and to save lives, Governor Cuomo must release people from people jails and prisons, and ensure that every incarcerated individual has access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Use our action tool to tweet at Gov. Cuomo and your state legislators now. It’s easy and takes just a few minutes to make an impact! Tell them: #FreeThemNowNY — in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, free people from jails and prisons NOW to save lives