ICYMI: JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK CALLS ON GOVERNOR INSLEE TO REDUCE INCARCERATION TO STOP SPREAD OF COVID-19, EASE UNPRECEDENTED BURDENS ON JUSTICE SYSTEM
Call to Action Highlights Bipartisan Steps Taken in Red & Blue States to Safely Reduce Incarceration
(Olympia, WA) — As COVID-19 continues to spread in Washington prisons, Justice Action Network Executive Director Holly Harris wrote to Governor Jay Inslee calling on him to take measures to safely reduce incarceration as a way to limit the spread of this deadly pandemic, including the release of non-violent offenders who are close to their release date. These common sense measures will help save the lives of incarcerated individuals, correctional officers, healthcare workers, and the general public, and have been adopted in red and blue states alike, including Ohio, Kentucky, New Jersey, and New Mexico. These actions are particularly important in light of a growing wave of fear and unrest gripping our nation’s justice system. The Justice Action Network also thanked Governor Inslee for other strong steps he’s already taken to keep the people of Washington safe amidst this unprecedented crisis.
April 10, 2020
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor, PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Dear Governor Inslee,
As COVID-19 spreads throughout the country, both the public and private sectors are taking extraordinary measures to protect the health and safety of our citizens. We want to thank you for all your efforts to mitigate the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus during this unprecedented pandemic. Lives have no doubt been saved by your early and decisive actions to keep Washingtonians safe.
We understand the challenging position you are in as you try to balance public safety with the health of correctional staff, law enforcement, and inmates. However, there are proven paths to reducing the number of inmates in state correctional facilities while protecting the safety and welfare of Washington residents.
These approaches have enormous bipartisan support from national groups such as the American Conservative Union, Americans for Prosperity, Cut50, Due Process Institute, Faith and Freedom Coalition, FAMM, FreedomWorks, James Madison Institute, Justice Action Network, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Urban League, R Street Institute, and Right on Crime. They are common sense steps that can balance the need to keep our communities safe, while preventing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in correctional facilities and the communities that house them.
Both Democrat and Republican governors have acted in the last week to reduce the population of nonviolent offenders in prison who have less than a year left on their sentences. Examples include:
Ohio Republican Governor DeWine identified over 200 state prison inmates for release due to COVID-19;
Kentucky Democrat Governor Beshear issued an executive order to commute the sentences of nearly 1000 individuals in state prison with preexisting conditions or who had less than 6 months left on their prison sentences;
New Mexico Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham released inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes who were scheduled for release in the next 30 days, provided they have a parole plan in place;
New Jersey Democrat Governor Phil Murphy ordered at-risk inmates, inmates denied parole within past 12 months, and inmates whose sentences expire within 3 months to home confinement.
These are extraordinary times and they require extraordinary responses. Identifying nonviolent offenders who are near their release date is a common sense solution to the imminent threat that COVID-19 poses to correctional staff and inmates. This decision, while difficult, can keep our communities safe while lessening the impact of COVID-19 on correctional staff, incarcerated people, and Washington at large. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Holly Harris, Executive Director
Justice Action Network