10 signatures reached
To: President Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, The Texas State House, The Texas Senate, The United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate
INMATES LIVES MATTER
I am requesting legislation that will repeal in its entirety Section 508 of the Texas Government Code. Also, I request the framework within the new, replacing section include retroactive language, which removes the systemic oppression, by mandating that work time credit and good time credit are now expressly, individually, and collectively applicable for parole eligibility and consideration for all offenders not under the sentence of death.
Why is this important?
400 plus years of racial oppression. Black codes. Jim Crow laws. Texas’ convict leasing system. Black lives matter. Brown lives matter. Trayvon Martin. Philando Castile. Eric Garner. Pamela Turner. Michael Brown. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. No justice. No peace. All our words and images being cried-out in the streets worldwide among protestors, asking for an end to institutional systemic racism. Undeniably, racial disparates have existed for too long in the streets of Texas in the form of police brutality and misconduct. This has also led to, and amplified, disproportionate sentencing of black and brown minorities in the criminal justice system, and has caused Texas to lead the national race in mass incarceration. Adding insult to injury, many inmates have been inappropriately labelled “violent offenders,” when actually many were too young, and thus could potentially outgrow delinquent behavior. Tough-on-crime prosecutors, who often used illegal and deceitful tactics to obtain convictions, never gave them a viable chance. Instead the court’s mentality was overbearingly: “Lock them up, and throw away the key.”
Right now, the barbarically outdated attitude is evident. Amid a pandemic, Texas officials have refused to grant “compassionate release” to any of its offenders in a coldhearted effort to unrelentingly warehouse offenders. Meanwhile, mothers and families are crying-out (to unsympathetic official ears) for the lives and welfare of their loved ones -who were sentenced to time, not a COVID-19 related death sentence. In these unprecedented times, the words “I CAN’T BREATHE” ring loud and true for the stifling oppression inmates and their families have yet to find relief from. Rightfully, they want-what we all should want – the removal of the institutional systemic “knee” from their loved ones’ necks.
Afterall, the law should apply equally. Needless to say, there are plenty of good “people” in TDCJ that should have been permitted to return to society many years ago. It’s, therefore, high time to level the playing field, and open the political playbook to repeal and replace laws that have adversely and largely impacted black and brown minority communities. Inarguably, our elected, legislative officials can no longer be allowed to hold seats of passiveness or indifference amid these tumultuous times. Prison reform actions, which finely terminates mass incarceration, must began NOW!
Right now, the barbarically outdated attitude is evident. Amid a pandemic, Texas officials have refused to grant “compassionate release” to any of its offenders in a coldhearted effort to unrelentingly warehouse offenders. Meanwhile, mothers and families are crying-out (to unsympathetic official ears) for the lives and welfare of their loved ones -who were sentenced to time, not a COVID-19 related death sentence. In these unprecedented times, the words “I CAN’T BREATHE” ring loud and true for the stifling oppression inmates and their families have yet to find relief from. Rightfully, they want-what we all should want – the removal of the institutional systemic “knee” from their loved ones’ necks.
Afterall, the law should apply equally. Needless to say, there are plenty of good “people” in TDCJ that should have been permitted to return to society many years ago. It’s, therefore, high time to level the playing field, and open the political playbook to repeal and replace laws that have adversely and largely impacted black and brown minority communities. Inarguably, our elected, legislative officials can no longer be allowed to hold seats of passiveness or indifference amid these tumultuous times. Prison reform actions, which finely terminates mass incarceration, must began NOW!