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To: Sheriff Jonathon Horton and Regional ICE Field Director Diane Witte

Tell Sheriff Horton and I.C.E. Field Office Director Dianne Witte to FREE THEM ALL!

Sheriff Horton and Regional ICE Field Director Diane Witte must take responsibility for the health and wellbeing of all the people at Etowah County Detention Center and County Jail. Earlier this week, Shut Down Etowah sent letters to acting New Orleans Field Office Director Diane Witte ((bit.ly/ICEDemands) and Etowah County Sheriff, Jonathan Horton (bit.ly/HortonDemands) demanding that they release all people held within the Etowah County Jail and Detention Center, publicly share their plans to prevent, and mitigate an outbreak of COVID-19, and provide immediate and adequate medical care to anyone who contracts COVID-19 while in their custody. We ask that you join us in asking Sheriff Horton and Field Office Director Diane Witte to release those in immigrant and county detention because a cage is no place for our family, friends, and community to endure the dangers of this worsening health crisis.

Why is this important?

People in detention are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses. To date, we have seen the high level of contagion in New York jails and many counties across the county have released people detained or incarcerated as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Protecting the health of people in detention is a necessary step to protecting the public safety, as detention center staff and ICE officers go back to their homes and communities each night.

Our demands are simple:

Release all people incarcerated and detained in the Etowah county Detention Center and County Jail. Immediate action before an outbreak occurs is the best and safest way to prevent the spread of disease and reduce the threat to those most vulnerable to complications from the novel coronavirus.
Release your plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the Etowah County Detention Center and County Jail. Sheriff Horton has yet to release a detailed plan to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Etowah County Jail and Detention Center. An outbreak would totally overwhelm the Etowah County Jail and medical facilities in Etowah County. Plans should include screening, testing, non-punitive isolation methods, and adequate medical care.
Make publicly available information regarding the spread of COVID-19 within the Etowah County Detention Center and County Jail and uphold the right of those in custody to communicate with their families, friends, and legal counsel. Families, friends, and lawyers should have access to regular communication with those in detention including free phone calls (including confidential phone calls and video conferencing with attorneys), access to email, video visitation, and postage mail.

Join us in advocating for the release of some of our most vulnerable community members by signing your name and/or organization below. Let’s #FreeThemAll together!

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Updates

2020-04-26 00:25:54 -0400

100 signatures reached

2020-04-20 21:56:05 -0400

50 signatures reached

2020-04-17 19:22:23 -0400

25 signatures reached

2020-04-16 18:59:00 -0400

10 signatures reached