Scroll down to sign our petition now!
Puente Human Rights Movement is petitioning the Biden Administration, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, ICE Field Director Carter, and ADOCRR Director Shinn. We are demanding a federal investigation into the conditions of confinement of ADOCRR prisons and ICE detention centers in Arizona. We are demanding that ADOCRR and ICE must comply with CDC guidelines and the Parsons' agreement to provide adequate care for people incarcerated and protection against COVID-19, or else release our loved ones! Scroll down to sign our petition now!
Background information on the Comply & Release Campaign
Comply & Release is Puente's campaign to end medical neglect in Arizona's prisons, jails, and detention centers. The Arizona Department of Corrections has a long record of medical negligence and medical abuse of people who are incarcerated. Puente's Comply & Release campaign is working to bring these ongoing human rights abuses to the public eye, reminding the people of Arizona that our loved ones who are detained are human and are deserving of their human rights and dignity. We are fighting ADOCRR's medical negligence and abuse on the local, state, and national stage, and demanding that ADOCRR comply with their duties to care for people who are incarcerated and release our loved ones en masse.
With over a billion dollars allocated to ADOCRR, we ask public officials, where is the money going? Our loved ones trapped inside Arizona's cages are held in subhuman conditions while you profit from their suffering. We demand transparency, compliance with health and human rights regulations, and the release of our loved ones!
Arizona's Failure in the Face of COVID-19
Puente's COVID-19 hotline received over 400 calls during the first 8 months of the pandemic from incarcerated people and their families who shared information about the horrific conditions of confinement. Many callers shared that they had no access to running water, soap, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, nor Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We received reports of prison officials moving people who tested positive for COVID-19 into shared cells without providing medical treatment, while some prisons created entire units to segregate all populations who tested positive for the virus together.
We witnessed the COVID rates continue to rise inside these cages: as of January 25, 2021, 30 people have died in ADOCRR care and 9,108 people have been tested positive with COVID-19, while state and county responses ignore their needs. Out of the tested population, over 20% have tested positive. The numbers are staggering. Many people who are trapped in Arizona's cages are fearful of seeking medical attention out of fear of retaliation from officers, or out of fear of being sent into solitary confinement for extended periods without treatment.
Our Demands:
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ADOCRR's full compliance with CDC guidelines in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parsons settlement agreements for care, and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
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Release all prisoners and immigrant detainees who have been harmed, abused, or suffered neglect in the hands of ADOC, ICE, and local jail facilities.
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Release all prisoners who are awaiting trial, who are held due to unpaid fines/fees, those who are imprisoned on drug possession and minor property crimes, and those who are due for release in the next 24 months.
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Release all prisoners who have preexisting conditions that put them at greater risk of death from COVID-19.
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End the use of solitary confinement as a method to quarantine COVID-positive people.
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Ensure that all COVID-positive people have access to safe, adequate medical care by healthcare professionals, and transfer serious cases to outside hospitals.
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Provide three meals daily of healthy, nutritious, fresh fruit and vegetables to people in all jails, prisons, and detention centers.
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Provide humane, adequate, and hygienic medical care to all people who are incarcerated.
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Federal investigation on conditions of confinement and oversight in ADOCRR & ICE detention centers.
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End all ICE detention contracts with private prisons and detention centers that have a history of abuse, medical neglect, and poor standards.
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Fire ADOC Director David Shinn & Jessie Williams for their ongoing negligence and failure to act to protect people in cages in the face of COVID-19.
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Investigate Governor Doug Ducey and his investments collaboration and partnerships with prison investors & companies.
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Transparency in budget spending for state and private prisons.
