Colorado state prison conditions are a public health hazard, putting people and the economy at risk. COVID-19 safety protocols, such as social distancing and rigorous hygiene, are impossible to follow due to overcrowding and limited space in Colorado state prisons. This increases the risk of exposure. It’s not a matter of if COVID-19 will enter, it's a matter of when. This will increase staff, inmates, and the public to transfer the virus a lot faster to each facility. It causes increased financial pressure on healthcare systems, the prison system, and the whole state of Colorado. We as a community can’t impose any more threats and compromises. We urge you to direct the Bureau of Prisons to immediately release inmates who have a non-violent offense to eliminate overcrowding and not put these inmates on a death sentence. Governor Polis has an executive order for people to remain 6 feet away from each other. Well that is not possible in these prisons that are overcrowded. Governor Polis also states that in any facility, if people do not remain within 6 feet from each other, the county health department will shut them down. If that’s the case, then all prison and jail facilities should be shut down. They do not have adequate and proper sanitation in these facilities or proper healthcare. A lot of these people have a sentence that does not match their crime as well. They have families that love and need them in this time of a world-wide crisis. Jared Polis, if you care about saving lives, then inmates' lives should matter as well. They are people too, and we need them. Whatever view you have on prisons and prisoners, they should not be sentenced to death by COVID-19. You also just signed a bill that repeals the state's death penalty, but how could you when that’s basically what will happen with these inmates still trapped inside these prison walls? There are other states that have been releasing non-violent offenders. Don’t you think it’s time to follow in their lead? Please, for the sake of families in Colorado state, start releasing these people to their families. You also had stated that this situation will last until the end of the year. This virus will get in regardless; we need to be prompt on this situation.
In addition to strategies to slow the spread of this virus and “ flatten the curve”, we recommend mitigation strategies to prevent further and dangerous situations such as riots and deaths that have occurred in facilities in China and Italy. Instead, align with best practices and protect those most vulnerable and with non-violent offenses with a humane safety-focused, public health response, much like the release of prisoners we have seen in Iran.
Why is this important?
Just like several people, my fiancé received an awful sentence that does not match his crime at all. These inmates can’t even be there for their families when they are sick and some of them are dying. At this time with a pandemic, we need him home and want to make sure he is safe. We are all worried about him, and his four children are worried sick. Ryan Michael Ricks DOC#117070 in CSP is a non-violent offender for this charge and should not even be in this prison.
But one of the nation's leading prison experts as well as family members of inmates are calling on the government and prison officials to do more to protect those inside, including allowing inmates to use hand sanitizer and bleach for cleaning and eliminating fees for soap and doctor's visits.
"The risks of this disease are incredibly huge. It's going to spread like wildfire," said Michele Deitch, a senior lecturer at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
We are asking that non-violent offender’s, no matter what prison they are in, should be released to their families. Use a GPS system or whatever else we can do to get these inmates home. There is not enough protective gear for staff, inmates, and Guards to wear. We don’t even have enough protective equipment for the hospitals. Please don’t put a death sentence on these inmates when their families need them. Social distancing is also an executive order from President Trump as well!
How it will be delivered
I will be emailing the signatures to the President of the United States and Governor of the State of Colorado
