In this issue…
Demanding Action from Governor Lamont on COVID-19 in Prisons
Using Art to Fight for Justice
Demanding Action from Governor Lamont on COVID-19 in Prisons
COVID-19 is impacting us all — but while many of us can take precautions, incarcerated people are subject to government control. And most governments are failing incarcerated people and their loved ones.
If you read our weekly update, you know we’ve been demanding the release of people in jails and prisons in CT and NY, to reduce the spread and impact of #COVID19. Jails and prisons are notorious incubators of contagions, due to close quarters and unsanitary conditions, making it impossible for people inside to effectively follow the CDC guidelines of social distancing and regularly washing hands and sanitizing in order to prevent the spread.
Today in CT, we hosted a digital press conference calling on Governor Lamont to release as many people as possible from jails and prisons. While other counties and states are moving to release people, Gov. Lamont is refusing to release people in the face of COVID-19. More than 80 people joined us on the Zoom Video call, including our members, lawmakers, reporters, faith leaders, and more. Read about it in our full press release.
Take action now to demand Gov. Lamont address the health and safety of incarcerated people in CT. Use this link to email and tweet Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut Corrections, and the Judiciary Branch demanding they urgently release as many people as possible to stop the spread and impact of #COVID19.
Using Art to Fight for Justice
While the numbers of positive cases of #COVID19 continues to rise across jails and prisons across the country, in Connecticut and New York, Governors Ned Lamont and Andrew Cuomo are refusing to address the health and well being of incarcerated people. To bring attention to this crisis, we’ve been working with designer, artist, and archivist, Josh MacPhee of JustSeeds to design a number of animations and graphics to drive the ongoing demands to free our people. We’ve also been excited to work with the good folks at Radix Media as well.
Check out our new #COVID19 Connecticut animation here, and the Rikers animation here. We’ll be rolling out more graphics and animations on our twitter feed over the next few weeks. If you want to use these graphics in your own work, please do so and let us know!
This is a hard, complicated time for so many. Please be safe out there. Let’s take care of each other. If you want to learn more about our work or just connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
