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Agenda Item
B 20-0326 Subject: Resolution To Protect Inmates From COVID-19
From: Councilmembers Bas, McElhaney,Taylor And City Attorney Parker
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Calling Upon The Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Alameda County Probation Department And Other Alameda County Officials To Release Incarcerated Individuals With Six Months Or Less Time Remaining At Santa Rita Jail And Take Other Necessary Measures To Protect The Health And Safety Of Individuals Detained In And Staffing The Santa Rita Jail And Alameda County Juvenile Detention Facilities
I strongly support this resolution. The county health orders require physical distancing that is impossible in a crowded jail, and people are getting sick at alarming rates. Public health demands that people be released rapidly and provided with testing, medical care, housing and access to community resources. Prisons and jails are breeding grounds for coronavirus, and in this extraordinary time we need to stop this. Thank you in advance for urging our county officials to take more action to prevent deaths, and to support community healing.
Susan Smith, RN, District 1
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice is in full support of this resolution and strongly urges Oakland city leadership to take action. People who are detained or incarcerated don't have the ability to sanitize their environment because they rely on the system for access to cleaning supplies and medical care. The County is responsible for caring for inmates (majority of whom are from Oakland) and exposing them to risk of death and serious illness is beyond the bound s of their pre-trial detention (because they can't afford bail), or court ordered jail sentence and is contrary to public interest.
Thank you to the Council members and City Attorney for proposing this. As a member of Faith In Action East Bay and the Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails we have been working on getting maximum releases from Santa Rita to avert a pandemic disaster. We also recognize that, especially in this crisis but in "normal" times as well, people leaving Santa Rita need access to essential re-entry services, housing, medical care access, jobs and training, mental health and rehab programs as needed, and etc. One of the areas we chose to focus on is reinstating MediCal benefits, which are lost after 30 days and not reinstated upon release. One example of the re-entry services we need to make more robust. Release right now is a live-and-death issue. Ongoing re-entry services is as well, and a public safety issue if we want our communities to not be subject to recidivist behavior. Thank you for this resolution - and also stay with the bigger picture moving forward. (D3)
Faith In Action East Bay (formerly Oakland Community Organizations) represents 30,000 families through 50 congregations and schools in Oakland. Member-led and active in Oakland since the 1970s, we have a long and deep concern for the welfare of those impacted by our flawed justice system. We applaud the outspoken support of Oakland officials and councilmembers calling for the reduction of public health risk by releasing every possible resident of Santa Rita Jail. We strongly support the Resolution to protect inmates from COVID-19, and we would like to add that it is also imperative that the City and County do everything possible to provide essential services—COVID-19 testing and access to medical care, housing, and other supports--to people being released from Santa Rita Jail. This crisis clearly demonstrates the interconnectedness of all of God’s children. We hope that the lessons learned will benefit our community in the long term.
I am an Oakland resident and member of Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails. The ICJJ is a coalition of 11 faith congregations in A.C., allied with Faith in Action East Bay (FIAEB) and deeply concerned for the well-being of those incarcerated in Santa Rita Jail. That concern is widely shared in the community. Last month, over 3,000 residents signed our petition to Alameda Co. officials and Supervisors urging prompt release of SRJ inmates, and action to minimize risk from covid for those who remain incarcerated. A follow-up letter of support was signed by 36 ICJJ members, committees, and congregations, including 24 clergy.
We are grateful to City Attorney Parker and Councilmembers Fortunato Bas, McElheny, and Taylor for authoring 4B and look forward to its passing. We hope Council will also act to secure safe return of our re-entering citizens, in the form of covid testing, adequate housing, food, and restored Medi-Cal. Yours sincerely - Myrna Schwartz, for ICJJ
I am strongly in favor of this resolution calling on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Probation Officer’s Office and other Alameda County officials to immediately release all incarcerated people with six months or less remaining to serve at Santa Rita Jail. It’s also vital that remaining detained/incarcerated people & staff have consistent access to hygiene supplies, information, adequate medical care & social distancing. CLEARLY, THERE IS MUCH MORE THE CITY & COUNTY MUST DO TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE AT SANTA RITA FROM COVID-19—including releasing pregnant women, & instituting sufficient testing and measures that protect the health of those who are released. Councilmembers, make sure today’s vote is more than lip service and the first steps of many actions in behalf of for the incarcerated & medically vulnerable. Compassion, social justice & prudence demand nothing less--Angela Noel
Longtime Oakland resident; member of Imani Community Church and Faith in Action East Bay
Thank you for passing this Resolution. Those in and out of the jail will benefit from reduced incidences of COVID-19 that will happen with the release of as many people from Santa Rita and the Juvenile facilities as possible. Please don't forget to offer/fund support services for those being released!
A jail sentence should not be a death sentence. This is a health issue that impacts our entire community, I strongly urge you to pass this resolution as a first step before moving on to supporting the release of all inmates currently at risk of COVID-19 which is spreading rapidly in Santa Rita.
I strongly support this resolution. The county health orders require physical distancing that is impossible in a crowded jail, and people are getting sick at alarming rates. Public health demands that people be released rapidly and provided with testing, medical care, housing and access to community resources. Prisons and jails are breeding grounds for coronavirus, and in this extraordinary time we need to stop this. Thank you in advance for urging our county officials to take more action to prevent deaths, and to support community healing.
Susan Smith, RN, District 1
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice is in full support of this resolution and strongly urges Oakland city leadership to take action. People who are detained or incarcerated don't have the ability to sanitize their environment because they rely on the system for access to cleaning supplies and medical care. The County is responsible for caring for inmates (majority of whom are from Oakland) and exposing them to risk of death and serious illness is beyond the bound s of their pre-trial detention (because they can't afford bail), or court ordered jail sentence and is contrary to public interest.
Thank you to the Council members and City Attorney for proposing this. As a member of Faith In Action East Bay and the Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails we have been working on getting maximum releases from Santa Rita to avert a pandemic disaster. We also recognize that, especially in this crisis but in "normal" times as well, people leaving Santa Rita need access to essential re-entry services, housing, medical care access, jobs and training, mental health and rehab programs as needed, and etc. One of the areas we chose to focus on is reinstating MediCal benefits, which are lost after 30 days and not reinstated upon release. One example of the re-entry services we need to make more robust. Release right now is a live-and-death issue. Ongoing re-entry services is as well, and a public safety issue if we want our communities to not be subject to recidivist behavior. Thank you for this resolution - and also stay with the bigger picture moving forward. (D3)
Faith In Action East Bay (formerly Oakland Community Organizations) represents 30,000 families through 50 congregations and schools in Oakland. Member-led and active in Oakland since the 1970s, we have a long and deep concern for the welfare of those impacted by our flawed justice system. We applaud the outspoken support of Oakland officials and councilmembers calling for the reduction of public health risk by releasing every possible resident of Santa Rita Jail. We strongly support the Resolution to protect inmates from COVID-19, and we would like to add that it is also imperative that the City and County do everything possible to provide essential services—COVID-19 testing and access to medical care, housing, and other supports--to people being released from Santa Rita Jail. This crisis clearly demonstrates the interconnectedness of all of God’s children. We hope that the lessons learned will benefit our community in the long term.
I am an Oakland resident and member of Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails. The ICJJ is a coalition of 11 faith congregations in A.C., allied with Faith in Action East Bay (FIAEB) and deeply concerned for the well-being of those incarcerated in Santa Rita Jail. That concern is widely shared in the community. Last month, over 3,000 residents signed our petition to Alameda Co. officials and Supervisors urging prompt release of SRJ inmates, and action to minimize risk from covid for those who remain incarcerated. A follow-up letter of support was signed by 36 ICJJ members, committees, and congregations, including 24 clergy.
We are grateful to City Attorney Parker and Councilmembers Fortunato Bas, McElheny, and Taylor for authoring 4B and look forward to its passing. We hope Council will also act to secure safe return of our re-entering citizens, in the form of covid testing, adequate housing, food, and restored Medi-Cal. Yours sincerely - Myrna Schwartz, for ICJJ
I am strongly in favor of this resolution calling on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Probation Officer’s Office and other Alameda County officials to immediately release all incarcerated people with six months or less remaining to serve at Santa Rita Jail. It’s also vital that remaining detained/incarcerated people & staff have consistent access to hygiene supplies, information, adequate medical care & social distancing. CLEARLY, THERE IS MUCH MORE THE CITY & COUNTY MUST DO TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE AT SANTA RITA FROM COVID-19—including releasing pregnant women, & instituting sufficient testing and measures that protect the health of those who are released. Councilmembers, make sure today’s vote is more than lip service and the first steps of many actions in behalf of for the incarcerated & medically vulnerable. Compassion, social justice & prudence demand nothing less--Angela Noel
Longtime Oakland resident; member of Imani Community Church and Faith in Action East Bay
Thank you for passing this Resolution. Those in and out of the jail will benefit from reduced incidences of COVID-19 that will happen with the release of as many people from Santa Rita and the Juvenile facilities as possible. Please don't forget to offer/fund support services for those being released!
A jail sentence should not be a death sentence. This is a health issue that impacts our entire community, I strongly urge you to pass this resolution as a first step before moving on to supporting the release of all inmates currently at risk of COVID-19 which is spreading rapidly in Santa Rita.