I’m a tax payer, a mother, and a community member. I want to see my children and grandchildren inherit a world that is better than the one we inherited. I am a volunteer, an executive director, and an attorney. I am also formerly incarcerated.
Did you know that Riverside County is steamrolling a plans forward to build 2 new “mega” jails? One new jail in Palm Springs with over 1,250 new beds and one in Indio with 1,273 new beds. These plans are going to cost Riverside County millions and millions of dollars to build and operate.
There are far too many people, communities, and causes that will be negatively impacted by adding more jails. Each time we lock someone up, we lock at least 100 people out: out of school, out of work, out of business, out of services, out of funds, and out of hope. California has sacrificed education, safety net services, the environment, and its’ future for the sake of over incarceration on the pretext that jails and prisons deter crime.
Today I want to share with you a few upcoming opportunities so you can join the fight here in Riverside.
Here are 3 things you can do to help stop jail expansion:
1. Come to the Riverside Community Engagement Forum
If you are interested in attending please contact Diana@curbprisonspending.org.
2. RSVP for our “How to Fight a Jail in Your Town” Webinar
Tuesday, October 15th at 12:00pm (PST).
Join CURB & Nation Inside for a special webinar on fighting jail expansion in your community. Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) has created a resource guide “How to stop a jail in your town,” for local organizing against jail expansion.
The interactive webinar will cover local organizing techniques through case studies that focus on environmental strategies, community alternatives, and will specifically look at the impact of jail expansion on women. Join experts from across the country as we share experiences, lessons learned, and hear your stories about this issue.
3. Sign our “Statewide Petition against Prison and Jail Expansion”
Help us reach our goal of getting 200 people from Riverside to sign this petition.
If jails are built, the next step is to fill them. They will fill them as they’ve been filling them and the communities pay the price, county funds that could be used to build the communities are instead funneled to the very institution that perpetuates recidivism and poverty. Do we want to pay that price for yet another jail?
Please share this email with friends, family and organizations and help us build an even larger voice of opposition to prison and jail expansion throughout Riverside.
In solidarity,
Vonya Quarles
All Of Us Or None – Riverside, Starting Over Inc. and member of Californians United for a Responsible Budget
