InProgress: A Weekly reCAP

We're Not Ready to Reopen
Considering the Trump administration's recent actions, including rallying governors to reopen their states, you could easily get the idea that the coronavirus pandemic is over and that the United States is in the clear. We aren't. According to CAP experts, there are at least three key thresholds states must meet before they can substantially relax their stay-at-home orders-and no state currently meets all these thresholds. <[link removed]> Yet several states have already begun to relax restrictions.

The effects of reopening the economy too early will be disastrous for everyone, but particularly for vulnerable communities. New CAP research shows <[link removed]> that 28 percent of people of color between the ages of 18 and 64-more than 21 million people in total-have an underlying health condition that could put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It also shows that women are more likely than men to have at least one of these conditions.

Rolling back stay-at-home orders and other policies intended to keep everyone safe will force many at-risk Americans back to work in extremely dangerous environments against their will.?

The data clearly show: Right now, it is not worth the risk.

Read more about the thresholds states must meet to reopen the economy. <[link removed]>

Read more about workers of color and COVID-19. <[link removed]>

COVID-19 Facts From CAP Experts

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Why Is Child Care Important to Economic Recovery? <[link removed]>

CAP economist Michael Madowitz explains <[link removed]> why we need to fund child care to help parents get back to work after COVID-19 restrictions lift.

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In the Spotlight
Spotlight on Criminal Justice and COVID-19 <[link removed]>

How do we make sure that incarcerated people are protected against both the spread of COVID-19 and the additional financial burden the pandemic is placing on people once they're released from prison or jail?

CAP's Criminal Justice Reform team recently came up with new recommendations around this question and others that intersect with the current crisis.

Because 8 of the 10 biggest clusters of COVID-19 cases are in jails and prisons, CAP is calling on state and federal officials to significantly reduce their corrections populations through commutations <[link removed]>, which shorten the sentence of an incarcerated person within the official's jurisdiction.

Once individuals are released from incarceration, they must have access to transportation, housing, and other support services to help them get back on their feet and safely transition home. Reentry services are supposed to help with these accommodations, but according to this collaboration between the Poverty and Criminal Justice Reform teams, Congress and state governments must drastically reform reentry services to minimize the impact of the pandemic and economic crisis on returning citizens. <[link removed]>

Visit the Criminal Justice Reform issue page <[link removed]> or sign up to receive emails about criminal justice reform <[link removed]> to get answers to questions like these and see the latest research from the team.

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Major Stories This Week

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Building Short- and Long-Term Relief <[link removed]>

When Congress reconvenes in May to debate the next round of funding priorities, it must employ strategies that provide economic relief to the wide range of people who need it-Congress should both provide support now and build towards an eventual equitable recovery.

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The Plan to Reopen Houses of Worship <[link removed]>

Faith leaders have faced an added challenge as they've navigated the coronavirus crisis: The Trump administration has attempted to politicize the pandemic into a cause of religious persecution by claiming that religious gatherings should not have the same restrictions as secular ones.

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Undocumented Students Won't Get a Dime <[link removed]>

Higher education institutions will soon receive millions of dollars in emergency aid from the federal government. While this funding could be the difference between leaving college and completing a degree for many students, undocumented students will not receive a dime.

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4 Ways the Trump Administration Has Made Our Air Dirtier During the COVID-19 Pandemic <[link removed]>

While the novel coronavirus has raged across the United States, the Trump administration has failed catastrophically in its efforts to protect the public. One of these failures comes in the form of continued rollbacks of critical protections for clean air across the country.

Mark Your Calendar

May 6
Managing the Transition to Virtual Schooling
RSVP for this online event <[link removed]>
More events in this series <[link removed]>

CAP in the News

Los Angeles Times
My immigrant parents lost their jobs, but the CARES Act won't help mixed-status families like mine (op ed) <[link removed]>

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