Incarcerated Nation Network.INC, created this Response & Resources page to share essential information, and other resources for activists, credible messengers & family members of those incarcerated to help all of us — confront this pandemic with a recognition of our shared need for resources & answers.To best serve our subscribed community of what is happening we have provided some direct Actions that can be taken online.
For more information,about national resources check out the Justice Collaborative contact: covid19@thejusticecollaborative.com
For Vital Accurate Information Check the CDC website HERE
WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOUR SICK
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF & PREPARE
We have 15 critical days to slow the spread of Coronavirus. See the latest guidelines from the President and the CDC.
The emergence of COVID-19, also KNOWN as the coronavirus, is causing great concern due to its rapid spread and high death rates, particularly among vulnerable populations. This concern is justified, and urgent action at all levels of government and by people across the country is needed to address this pandemic. If we want to address this and other problems destined to continue arising in the future, however, we must take stock of the way that our shared vulnerability is being highlighted in this moment.
Vulnerable populations are going to be harder hit by COVID-19, according to the latest medical information. The way we have organized significant portions of our society has left many of those people even more vulnerable to the worst effects of this disease. Their increased risks, in many instances, only serve to create greater risks for our broader communities. Our criminal legal and immigrant detention systems have created spaces that are now putting people at extremely high risk, and there is unclear planning or transparency in most places regarding how people in those facilities — and our broader community — will be protected in the days and weeks ahead.
As a resource to our subscribed community & greater network of citizens we offer these resources & actions to continue building the community we need to SUCCEED. the message of this statement & Below are some suggested practices from the Justice COLLABORATIVE.
*The Latest News on CORONAVIRUS
If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:
Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion or inability to arouse
Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning
The spread of COVID-19 has deeply impacted the lives of all New Yorkers. In addition to the threat the virus poses to people’s health, the pandemic has changed the way we go to work and school, access health care and other critical services, and interact in our communities and beyond. Information about closures of services and institutions, policy changes, and what your rights are can change day to day. This page will be updated to ensure that New Yorkers know where to find accurate and trusted information.
Info for New Yorkers - How to Stay Updated:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains the best resource to get information on keeping yourself safe from the virus, identifying symptoms, and reviewing reported cases across the country.
For up-to-date information on actions taken by the Governor and the state Department of Health to combat the virus and assist New Yorkers, visit the state Department of Health website.
To receive important announcements on COVID-19 via text alerts, text “New York” to 81336 for state updates and text “COVID” to 692-692 for New York City updates.
Social Distancing and Business Closures:
The White House's current guidelines recommend keeping gatherings to 10 people or fewer and to work from home, avoid unnecessary shopping trips, and refrain from eating in restaurants. Throughout New York and several neighboring states, gyms, movie theaters, senior centers, and casinos are closed. Bars and restaurants are open only for take-out service. in NYC a curfew will be in effect making it a ticketable violation to be outdoors at certain hours of the day & nite. business will begin to close at 8 pm.
Schools :
Public schools in New York City are closed through at least April 20. Remote learning for students begins March 23. Students who do not already have tools for remote learning may be able to receive devices and tablets over the next few weeks. You do not have to have home WiFi to use these devices, but Spectrum is offering students free internet services through at least May 15. As information is changing rapidly, your principal will probably have more up-to-date information than the central DOE office. Please check with your school for information about obtaining a device.
All schools will provide “grab-and-go” breakfast and lunch daily for anyone under 18 years old. For more information, visit the state Department of Education website.
Starting on March 23, Regional Enrichment Centers will be open for the children of first responders, healthcare workers, transit workers, and others in every borough. If your child receives special education or medical services through their public school, they may also be able to access these services through the enrichment centers. Please check with your principal for details.
All other schools in the state will be closed until at least April 1. Districts are using various methods to get instructional materials to students, so please check your district website for information. In addition, our NYCLU chapters across the state may be able to assist.
Voting and Elections:
New York’s presidential primary election is still scheduled for April 28. All village elections are currently postponed until that date. Absentee ballots may be available for those who self-quarantine. For more information, or for instructions to obtain and cast an
absentee ballot, contact your county’s Board of Elections.
Housing and Utilities:
All eviction proceedings and pending orders are indefinitely suspended statewide as of March 16th. If you receive an eviction notice, contact your landlord and the court’s coronavirus hotline, (833) 503-0447.
New York utilities will keep power, heat, gas, and water on for all customers, to support people who are unable to pay their bills due to the coronavirus.
Health Insurance:
If you do not have health insurance, a special enrollment period is now open through April 15. You can apply for coverage through the NY State of Health website, and by phone at 855-355-5777.
Unemployment:
If you have lost your job due to the coronavirus, the seven-day waiting period to apply for unemployment insurance benefits is waived. For more information and to apply for benefits, visit the state Department of Labor website.
Courts:
The New York state court system is making a plan to postpone non-essential services and proceedings. Sign up for updates for court closures from the New York State Unified Court System website. To find out if a particular court is open, call the court’s coronavirus hotline, (833) 503-0447.
The New York City Department of Education is committed to making three Free Meals available daily for all NYC children.
Download the School Food App
View menus, submit reviews and even use to “FastPass” to skip the line. The app is available for Android(Open external link) and iOS(Open external link).
for Additional Resources Please Check out the TJC & other listed resource pages for National Resources
The Justice Collaborative application for policy Assistance
The Justice COLLABORATIVE Policy Assistance Form
We are here to help you or your group with policy and communications around COVID-19 and vulnerable populations. For more information, please complete our request form.
Coronavirus and the Rights of New Yorkers
NYCLU New york civil liberties union Covid-19
The NYCLU is working to guarantee paid sick leave for workers, protect people who are involved in the criminal legal system and immigration system, and ensure that students have equitable access to remote learning and school programs.
How to protect yourself
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. There is no Cure for COVID-19 to date - click here for more
if you think your sick
Follow the steps: If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have it, follow the steps below to help protect other people in your home and community.
click here for more
Explainer: Prisons and Jails are Particularly Vulnerable to COVID-19 Outbreaks — It is not a matter of if but when the coronavirus will enter prisons and jails, according to health experts. The consequences of that eventuality could be devastating. COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails will spread “like wildfire” due to close quarters, unsanitary conditions, a population that is more vulnerable to COVID-19, and the large number of people that cycle through the criminal justice system.
How Practitioners Can Address COVID-19 in Asking for Release — This document summarizes what criminal court practitioners can do to try and address these risks with courts and minimize the risk of clients being confined.
Letters You Can Send Demanding De-carceral Guidelines
In order to prevent the rapid growth of COVID-19 from overburdening our health-care system and claiming lives, both those in secure facilities and the people who work in them, it is the responsibility of decision makers at every level to prevent and contain the spread of the virus by taking action to promote the most effective strategy in abating the pandemic. You can send these letters to your local officials and demand they issue decarceral guidelines right now to prevent social spreading, jail “churn,” and the deaths of vulnerable people.
Emergency Response Demand Lists
Reports
Your Not Alone: Demands from Across the Country
Color of Change, Worth Rises, Prison Policy Initiative, Parole Preparation Project, Philadelphia Bail Fund, RAPP (Release Aging People From Prison), Dignity and Power Now, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Mijente, Tucson Second Chance Community Bail Fund, Advancement Project, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Center for Community Alternatives, Essie Justice Group, Just Leadership USA, The Justice Collaborative,The Center for Popular Democracy, Halt Solitary, Law for Black Lives, The Leadership Conference, and White People for Black Lives, released this statement demanding action on behalf of our most vulnerable at risk of harm from COVID-19.
Transformative Spaces created these demands from grassroots organizers.
State ACLU chapters around the country, including Connecticut, Missouri, and Massachusetts, have demanded immediate changes, including releasing people from jails who are being held pretrial to issuing medical furloughs and clemency to people inside state prisons.
The National Bail Fund Network prepared this response of ten key demands for local organizers working to free people from the criminal legal and immigration detention systems during the COVID-19 crisis.
Prison Policy Initiative issued five key recommendations in early March to slow the spread of a viral pandemic in prisons and jails that have heavily influenced organizing and advocacy around this crisis.
Worthrises condemns “Prison Industries Exploitation of Incarcerated People During the Coronavirus Health Crisis”
Organizers around the country have demanded action by their governors to release elderly and medically infirm people in the state’s prisons, including those in Indiana, Illinois, New York, and California.
Public defender offices, including those in San Francisco, Orleans Parish, and Nashville, have pushed their jurisdictions to release people from the local jails and to stop arresting people for low-level offenses.
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Columbia Legal Services said ICE should release on parole any detainees who are older than 60, pregnant, or who have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease because these groups are particularly susceptible to contagious outbreaks.
ACLU of Southern California has called on the Adelanto ICE Processing Center to immediately develop evidence-based and proactive plans for the prevention and management of COVID-19 including education of persons in custody and staff, as well as humane housing for those infected.
New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) has called for a specific response plan from ICE that will ensure our clients are treated humanely and with dignity. The plan should include details on how detainees who may have COVID- 19 will be screened and identified, and what measures will be taken to assist those who are at high risk of serious illness if they become infected, such as those with chronic illness or a compromised immune system, as well as pregnant women. [UPDATE: NYIFUP updated its demands on Friday, asserting that ICE must release immigrants in local jails and halt arrests due to their failure to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.]
Several Democratic U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California have also asked the Department of Homeland Security to make clear that it will not conduct immigration enforcement operations in or around hospitals or medical clinics.
More than 700 experts in law, public health, and human rights joined in writing an open letter to Vice President Mike Pence and other federal, state, and local policymakers outlining guidelines for a fair and effective response to COVID-19.
These resources draw from the work of organizers and academics across the country, including the ACLU, Color of Change, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and defenders. Special thanks to the Prison Policy Initiative for their insight, research, and leading the discussion on this important issue. Here is a link to the PPI report upon which many of these ideas are drawn.(from the justice collaborative,NYCLU,ACLU,CDC,NYCDOE all links are live direct links to additional resources)