April 6, 2020

RE: Grassroots response to Governor’s Executive Order on Jails and Prisons

Dear Governor Whitmer:

On March 29th, you issued an executive order about Covid-19 in Michigan’s prisons and jails. It was an excellent first step toward limiting the spread of Covid-19 through and from prisons and jails. Already some county sheriffs have used this executive order to start releasing people.

However, more is required to address the extreme health crisis threatening incarcerated people. While counties and local courts now have the ability to release people in county jails who are elderly, pregnant, sick, being held pre-trial, or facing low level offenses, they are not required to, and many have not acted. Additionally, addressing only county jails is insufficient; It does nothing to release the thousands of vulnerable people being held by MDOC in state prisons.

The only way to ensure that prisons and jails do not create a severe health crisis for those inside and out is to immediately release everyone that can be released, stop incarcerating new people, and provide a safe return for those inside. Covid-19 is already causing untold harm inside MDOC to sick and vulnerable prisoners, prison staff, and their families. Over 200 cases have been reported, and a prisoner has already died due to the virus.^[1]

For these reasons, in addition to Michigan Liberations existing demands^[2] we are asking that the Governor act immediately to:

• Release everyone in MDOC custody that is eligible for parole, including those who have already been approved for parole but have not reached their release date.
• Commute the sentences of and immediate release all people in MDOC custody and in local jails who are sick, pregnant, elderly, vulnerable, youths in juvenile detention, low-risk offenders, within a year of their release date, or finished serving at least two-thirds of their sentence.
• Provide reentry assistance that guarantees stable housing and access to healthcare for those who are released.

• Order state and local police, courts, and jails to stop coordinating with ICE around enforcement and detention, so that ICE is not adding to the prison or jail population.

• Introduce--and work with the legislature to pass-- a bill that repeals Michigan’s truth-in-sentencing law so that the state can respond immediately to future public health crises by releasing inmates.

Please contact our Campaign Director, Nicholas Buckingham at nick@miliberation.org with your response. We look forward to your action on the issues we’ve raised in this letter.

Sign on in support of this letter

Below are community members and organizations who are in support of this letter:

Imani Clark - The Ezekiel Project

Amanda Alexander, - Detroit Justice Center

Branden Snyder - Detroit Action

Art Reyes - We The People - MI

Taylor Harrell - Mothering Justice

Oriana        Powell - Mothering Justice

Sam Jorgenson - Mothering Justice

Annie Paul - Mothering Justice

Meredith Quinlan - Michigan Liberation

Ashley Daniels - Michigan Liberation

Nicholas Buckingham - Michigan Liberation

Julia Galliker - Michigan Liberation

Ben Foster - Michigan Liberation

Sylvia Sznurkowski - SADO- Project Re-Entry

James Thomas - Nation Outside Detroit & Rising Sun Ink

Dana Hill-Belton - Oakland Forward/MiCBCP

Henrietta Ivey - Black Women in Homecare

Marie Carp - Wayne State University Law School

Yana Lynn - BYP100

Bridget Huff - Progressive Caucus of Mi Dem Party CD-10

Gwendolyn Hooker - Helping Other People Exceed (HOPE) thru Navigation

Shanelle Davison - Michigan United

Rev. Sherisse M. Butler - St Paul AME Church

Anne Kopp - Airlift

Deirdre Regular

Mary Stone

Ruby Tapia        

Samantha Andrian        

Charles Creamer        

Larry Creamer        

Jake Nessel        

Rashad Buni

Josephine Powell

Megan Shanklin

Randi Reaves

Heather Moore

Lena Gerstle

Nadine        Reynolds

Debbra Chymiak-Isanhart

Natasha Abner

Emma         Lockridge

Nikolette Barnes

Kari Snyder

Jessica Lipsey        

Monica Smith

Tamika Jackson

Tyrome Crockett

Laura O'Connor

Mary Naoum

Kailynn Mitchell

Jasmine An

Deborah Margolis

Maya Younis

Jill Abood

Bianca        Suarez

Navidad Cassaday

Ann McKay Bryson

Deb Keyworth

Catherine Grosso

Elizabeth McKay

Elizabeth Zoob

Nadine        Hubbs

Elizabeth Zoob

Carlos        Bustamante

Nora Madden

Kathy McKay

Cristy Willer

Aaron Mondry

Matt Danner

Angela Flowers

Megan        Douglass

Denise        O'Neal

Tiffany        Marquard

Leo Ryerse

Kristen        Hall

Brandy Johnson

Margaret Wright

Robin Schropp

Willie Rupe

Veronica Beltran

Elaria Essak

Mena Shenouda

Tracy Gallardo

Marva De Armas