Sign Petition on COVID-19 Testing in Prisons
From Arizona Faith Network.
A prison sentence should not be a death sentence.
As people of faith, we believe that a prison sentence should not be a death sentence. Yet, the spread of COVID-19 throughout Arizona’s prison systems threatens the lives of thousands of incarcerated individuals. New cases of COVID-19 have reached an all-time high in the month of August, and without adequate testing, social distancing, or access to proper health care this pandemic is anticipated to continue to threaten our State.
Places of incarceration leave people extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 due to densely populated quarters, inadequate access to testing and the necessary preventive resources (such as masks, sanitizer and disinfectants). These conditions threaten the basic health and dignity of all incarcerated individuals.
As a diverse network we believe that God, as understood in each of our traditions, is concerned with the well-being of all persons regardless of their station and is merciful and forgiving. Responding to this belief, we unite together to speak out for the dignity and health of those who are incarcerated. We believe that each person incarcerated was created by God and is deserving of fair and safe treatment during this pandemic. As our elected officials, it is your duty to ensure this happens. On behalf of our clergy and faith leaders we implore your immediate implementation of the following recommendations.
As members and friends of the Arizona Faith Network we request:
Early release for all incarcerated persons slated to get out in the next 6 to 12 months
Compassionate release for incarcerated persons with serious medical issues who are at greater risk for complications and death from COVID-19 and who will not be in a position to cause harm if released
Masks, disinfectant, proper facility cleanliness, and adequate social distancing (without resorting to solitary confinement or expansion of prisons) provided at all times
Mass testing for COVID-19 in places of incarceration
Incarcerated persons who request medical care or show signs of illness be immediately scheduled for diagnosis/testing, and care
Limit new prosecution of, and jail time for, misdemeanors to minimize the jail population
Provide necessary assistance and care to released individuals as they transition back into society during the pandemic
As a follow up to this letter our faith leaders will be requesting to meet with you to ensure our requests and recommendations are understood and implemented.
We, the faith leaders of the Arizona Faith Network, sign our names below in support of this statement: