Symbol concept, design and art work by Mile Nilsen
The symbol for National Awareness of the millions of people being held in prisons and jail during this crisis
See the About Us page for more information.
Please listen to and share our podcasts on this urgent topic.
Digital rendering by Chris Cloonan
DOWNLOAD for use on all of your social media platforms.
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This launch site is under construction but the need for awareness is an urgent need so we do not want to delay the launch of the symbol. We will be adding content here as time allows but please download the symbol now and share it everywhere.
Out of sight is not out of mind!!
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The club that you never want to be a member of has become a deadly club. People everywhere need to pay attention. Please keep these people in your minds and watch what is happening. Demand transparency with all of the departments of correction. Inmates, now more than ever, need to know that there are people in the free world who see, that we care and that we are paying attention. Can you imagine being locked away from the people who care about you, those you care about? At the mercy of others to care for your safety and protection? It is terrifying for most but they can not show weakness so they bottle it up and suffer in silence.
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The United States has but 4.4% of the world's population but we house over 25% of the world's incarcerated. The incarceration nation! There are 2.3 million people in prison in this country. That is 2.3 million people at high risk, during this pandemic, of being forgotten and lost in the cracks. We have to speak out and speak up for these voiceless people. They need us to advocate for them, to watch over them and make sure that their needs are being protected and most importantly let them know that they are NOT ALONE and there are people who care.
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People who are incarcerated have no masks, gloves or disinfectant.
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DOC compassionate release |
The needs are urgent |
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We need to work together, to encourage every state to take immediate action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails. We have to speak up for the voiceless. It’s the right thing to do for millions of people who can not protect themselves, people who were not sentenced to die in prison, but who are most at risk from the deadly virus. Every state needs to start the process of compassionate release. Compassionate release, sometimes called medical or geriatric parole, is a process that allows for the release of people who are elderly or sick. Every state has a version of compassionate release though few people are ever granted these releases. The people most at risk during this pandemic need immediate consideration.
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Hundreds of prisoners and corrections officers have tested positive and and many deaths are already being reported across the country. We need to decarcerate immediately. There is no time left to create models and projections and advanced planning. That time has passed. The first step act only applies to federal prisons and the compassionate release mechanisms that exist are not being used to their fullest potential. People that are incarcerated in the United States of America are still Americans, still citizens of this country. They matter. There are so many other options beyond incarceration and now is the time to use them. This is a crisis unlike anything that the prison systems have seen. Please listen to our podcast where we go into greater detail. A prison is a pétri dish, a breeding ground for disease. A correctional officer brings this into the facility from the outside, infects inmates who then, due to lack of social distancing, pass it to others and very quickly the majority of the population becomes infected. This then spreads to other correctional officers who have to work in the pétri dish and they carry this home to families and the community. Thousands more lives in the community are at risk. We have to stop this now. We have the chance to save thousands of lives.
Read about the community spread in Marion Oh. |
