[link removed] [[link removed]]Dear John:

Thousands of New Yorkers are currently detained in overcrowded, unsanitary, and unsafe conditions in our city's jails -- and thousands of correctional staff come and go from those jails every day.

Especially during this pandemic, our jails are a public health and moral disaster waiting to happen.

One of the first casualties of the coronavirus in NYC was an investigator at Rikers Island, and a corrections officer has tested positive for COVID-19. It is only a matter of time before more staff and incarcerated people become sick.

Last week, a group of doctors working in NYC jails, hospitals, clinics, and shelters released an open letter to Mayor De Blasio and city leaders highlighting the need to shrink the jail population and cut down on unnecessary arrests to stop the spread of COVID-19. Those who know the situation best are sounding the alarm -- our city must act quickly.

Join Brad, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) to send a strong message to the Mayor and Governor: Take action NOW to protect those in our jails and prisons from this epidemic, and prevent this disaster from spreading → [[link removed]]

SIGN ON [[link removed]]This afternoon, Brad joined Jumaane Williams and advocates from CPR to amplify these demands to City Hall.

The simple truth is that our carceral system, already badly in need of reform, cannot continue unchecked during this crisis.

Continued arrests, summonses, warrant enforcement, and parole violations for low-level offenses unnecessarily puts all New Yorkers in harm's way -- disproportionately threatening the health and safety of low-income people of color, as well as law enforcement and correctional staff.

Informed by the letter from doctors working inside NYC jails, we are specifically calling on Mayor de Blasio to:

• Suspend all low-level, "broken windows" arrests, including all those without victims. This includes a moratorium on arrests for quality-of-life crimes and fare evasion, and on the NYPD's "homeless diversion" program. We commend Brooklyn DA Eric Gonazlez, who has informed the NYPD that he will not prosecute these offenses, and urged other district attorneys to do the same.

We are also calling on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Corrections to:

• Cease the practice of incarcerating people on parole for technical violations. New York imprisons the second-highest number of people for technical violations of parole (which can include things like missing curfew or failing a drug test) in the United States, at a rate (47%) nearly double the national average (28%).

• Immediately release individuals in custody who are at the highest risk of serious health complications if they contract COVID-19 , including older adults, pregnant women, people with respiratory conditions, people who are immunocompromised, and people with other chronic health conditions.

• Consider clemency petitions of older incarcerated people and those with preexisting health conditions. DA Gonzalez has asked defense attorneys to help identify these individuals.

If you agree that we need to act swiftly and boldly to prevent even more inhumane and dangerous conditions in NYC jails, sign on to our letter and share widely → [[link removed]]

Thank you so much for your support,

-- Team Lander



CONTRIBUTE [[link removed]]

Lander for NYC
456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11215
[email protected]

[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]

unsubscribe: [link removed]