Action needed to protect Oklahoma prisons from COVID-19

Dear Friend, Spread of the virus within Oklahoma’s incarceration system will remain an ongoing threat to vulnerable inmates, corrections staff and rural hospitals. The risk of a large scale COVID-19 outbreak in Oklahoma prisons demands urgent action. Please sign this online petition that urges policymakers to consider expedited release for: Pregnant women with non-violent charges Those with non-violent charges who are older than 60  Those with severe medical conditions that compromise their immune systems who have non-violent charges Those eligible for release in the next 3-6 months who have non-violent charges Those scheduled to make court appearances in other states or being transferred to ICE Overcrowded state prisons face some of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation. Oklahoma’s prisons are 107 percent overcapacity, putting thousands of incarcerated Oklahomans at increased risk. This overcrowding combined with a prison system filled with immune compromised and aging inmates only heightens the risk from COVID-19. Medical parole could meet the urgent need for action demanded by this crisis. The Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections has the authority to create a list of inmates who have increased medical risk and can be considered for parole.  Sign the petition today to ask DOC to certify low-level and medically fragile individuals for medical parole to mitigate the threat of COVID-19. Without decisive action from state leaders to reduce its transmission, the virus has very real potential to make both prisons and our communities less safe in the long run.  Together we can make a difference, Sabine Brown Outreach and Legislative Director TogetherOK’s success depends on your engagement – and there are many ways for you to get involved. Join Us   Together OK | 907 S Detroit Ave, Suite 1005, Tulsa, OK 74120 | (918) 794-3944 click here to unsubscribe | update subscription preferences | view email in browser