ADVOCATES TO RALLY IN SACRAMENTO TO STOP THE GOVERNOR’S PRISON EXPANSION

MEDIA ADVISORY – August 23^rd, 2013

MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Harris, Californians United for a Responsible Budget 510-435-1176

RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE DETAILS

When: Tuesday, August 27^th, 10 am
Where: Sacramento State Capitol

Event Contact: Pete Woiwode, pete@communitychange.org  (510) 504-9552

EDUCATION, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES TO RALLY IN SACRAMENTO TO STOP THE GOVERNOR’S PRISON EXPANSION

Rally will call on Legislature to reject costly, unnecessary prison beds and invest tax dollars into programs that create healthy and safe communities.

Sacramento – On Tuesday, August 27^th, health and human services, housing, education, and criminal justice reform advocates will rally on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento and meet with legislators to demand the Legislature reject the Governor’s plan to siphon hundreds of millions of tax dollars out of the state budget and spend it on private and out-of-state prisons. 

At the rally, advocates will urge the Governor and the legislature to implement cost effective population reduction strategies and sensible alternatives to incarceration, rather than spend on additional, unnecessary beds. The Governor’s new proposal, which includes up to one billion dollars of ongoing annual spending on renting or leasing prison space from counties, other states, and private corporations, is not necessary and not worth raiding the state’s budget surplus for.

Advocates, lawmakers and allies will urge legislators to instead protect the reserve to fund a critical social safety net, education, and other vital programs that California’s families need to eliminate poverty, recover from the Great Recession, and succeed.  The rally will culminate several days of activities of call-in actions, rallies in other parts of the state, and legislative visits.

Who: 50 community members, lawmakers, social safety net, criminal justice, and education advocates from the California Partnership, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, CourageCampaign.org, PICO California, ACLU, California Families to Abolish Solitary Confinement, Friends Committee on Legislation California, 9 to 5 Working Women, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, CAPPA Children’s Foundation, American Friends Service Committee, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, A New PATH, FACTS Education Fund, Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes, Fair Chance Project, San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, Sin Barras, Critical Resistance LA, Critical Resistance Oakland, Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California and more.