COVID-19 Help for People Currently & Formerly Incarcerated

The latest intel from Congress is that leadership in both parties simply are not prioritizing people currently or formerly incarcerated as they plan the next COVID-19 response bill. That’s unacceptable, and we need to do all we can to change it.

There are worrying indications that the current proposals aren’t enough – especially when it comes to people impacted by our broken criminal justice system. Negotiations are ongoing, so we urgently need to raise our voices.

**We ask for your complete address so that we can identify your members of Congress

Your letter to congressional leadership:

I urge you to ensure that any COVID-19 response legislation includes provisions which protects Americans who are currently incarcerated, or who are returning home from prison and are looking for work and stable housing.

One of the most devastating impacts of the pandemic has been the suffering of business owners across the nation. Unfortunately, formerly incarcerated business owners are unable to apply for PPP loans in many cases, causing unnecessary economic suffering for these Americans and their employees. Congress must pass legislation that guarantees eligibility for PPP loans for formerly incarcerated Americans and those who are on probation, parole, community supervision, or who face criminal indictments or arraignments.

In addition to this economic suffering, roughly 65,000 incarcerated Americans have been infected by the coronavirus this year alone, with nearly 700 people dying as a result. The most impacted communities include elderly and immunocompromised incarcerated individuals. That’s why it's so important that this legislation ensures the immediate release of elderly incarcerated Americans from custody either through sentence reductions, release into community supervision, temporary release, the good time credit fix, or through increased eligibility for home confinement.

Equally concerning are the state budgetary shortfalls resulting from the coronavirus, which are estimated at $555 billion over state fiscal years 2020-2022. These shortfalls impact a variety of public services and impede the ability for state and local governments to test for and treat the coronavirus. Congress can help fix this issue by passing legislation which provides grants to state and local governments to assist these governments in efforts to test and treat the coronavirus, to incentivize the release of vulnerable incarcerated Americans who are not a security risk, and to ensure funding for courts in states which have placed a moratorium on fines and fees.

This crisis has impacted the lives of every American, which is why it is so important that the legislation Congress passes equitably impacts the lives of all of us. Thank you for your work on this important issue.

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Are you or is someone close to you directly impacted by the criminal justice system? No, but I'm an ally! Yes, I'm a formerly incarcerated woman. Yes, I was formerly incarcerated. Yes, someone close to me is/was incarcerated. Yes, I currently or used to work in the criminal justice system. Yes, I'm a survivor of crime. Yes, someone close to me is a survivor of crime.

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