Hon. Andrew M. Cuomo Acting Director Anthony J. Annucci Commissioner Cynthia Brann Governor of New York State Dept. of Correctional and NYC Department of Corrections State Capitol Building Community Supervision 75-20 Astoria Blvd Albany, NY 12224 1220 Washington Ave East Elmhurst, NY, 1137 Albany, NY 12226
Dear Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Acting Director Anthony J. Annucci and Commissioner Cynthia Brann:
We are New Yorkers committed to a vision of New York where all citizens are supported in times of crisis, including New York’s most vulnerable communities. We must protect our community in its entirety.
While at times overlooked, our community includes the people incarcerated, the families of those incarcerated, the people who work in these facilities, and those who live and interact with the people who work there. We must not forget them.
We write to urge the following:
● Immediately review people detained on Technical Parole Violations (TPVs) and restore as many as possible to parole supervision. Many people are awaiting a parole hearing with either a minor charge or no additional charge. Given the COVID-19 crisis, these individuals are essentially not receiving their right to due process. Denying due process is a dangerous precedent to set, especially in times of crisis.
● Lift restrictions on alcohol-based hand sanitizers to facilitate healthy hand washing and protect the health and safety of incarcerated populations and staff. At most facilities, incarcerated people are responsible for cleaning. Appropriate health and safety standards would protect those who remain incarcerated and protect the officers and staff who are required to interact with incarcerated people outside of the CDC’s recommended social distancing guidelines.
● Prioritize provision of test kits to correctional facilities to assist cohort housing and distancing decision-making. Any incarcerated person with virus symptoms must be tested - not just screened - and treated accordingly.
These facilities are effectively incubators for contagious disease, as incarcerated people share nearly everything in dense, populated areas. The ban on alcohol-based cleaning products in these facilities exacerbates this issue, depriving inmates of the most effective cleaning tools against COVID-19. History will look back on how New York handled the COVID-19 crisis, let us prove we cared about every member of our community, even those incarcerated.
Signed,
The Manhattan Young Democrats Young Democrats of Richmond County The Brooklyn Young Democrats The Bronx Young Democrats Queens County Young Democrats New York State Young Democrats