But we need your help to keep fighting! 

 Advancement Project National Office and our partners in justice, Community Justice Project Miami, Civil Rights Corps and Dream Defenders sued the Miami Department of Corrections to protect the rights of community members in Miami jails, arguing that Miami’s Metro West Detention Center is risking the lives of everyone inside because of their failure to respond to the threat of COVID-19.  

What we won: 

• On APRIL 7, 2020: A 14-day Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) requiring the Metro West Detention Center to follow the Center for Disease Control's guidelines to protect the health of people locked inside and prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
• LAST NIGHT: An order from the federal judge issued to Metro West Detention Center to follow CDC’s guidelines for the next 45 days! 

So, what’s next? 

Because it is nearly impossible to practice social distancing in jail cells, we’re STILL fighting for an order to release vulnerable people trapped living in the horrific conditions there. The lives of thousands of people are at risk, and we won’t stop fighting for them and their families. 

Confinement conditions are so bad at Metro West that incarcerated people there have started a hunger strike to demand their immediate release. One participant said, “The jail system isn’t equipped to keep us safe during the pandemic. How long are we expected to sit in here? How many rights is the government allowed to strip away during a global pandemic?” 

The needs on the ground are urgent. Our work and priorities are shifting in real time, much like the communities we support. That’s why we need flexible support to fund it.   

Call on your state government officials to release people today. Share #FreeThemAll until we’re all #FreeAndSafe on your social platforms, and spread the word before jails and prisons spread the virus.   

We’ve filed similar cases with our partners St. Louis, East Baton Rouge, and Oakland County, Michigan, and we plan to file in Detroit in the coming days. Your support will allow us to be aggressive in real time to get people out of jails and lessen their risk of contracting COVID-19.

P.S.: Did you know #GivingTuesday is coming up next week? Nonprofits all over the world are bracing for the financial impact of COVID-19. But with your help, we can survive so that our communities can thrive.