COUNTDOWN TO LEGISLATIVE SESSION

ERASE needs a hearing this fall

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FOR A #SAFEANDFREE DC

Four walls. A solid steel door. A ceiling, a floor. A box that’s 6 x 9- -smaller than an average parking space. Little to no sunlight. No access to the outside world. 23 hours a day, 7 days a week- -indefinitely. In just 15 days, existing in these conditions can lead to severe depression, psychosis, and increased rate of suicide. This is “home” to an estimated 95,000 people in solitary confinement in the US and to xxx in DC. The United Nations defines solitary confinement as torture- -and has called upon us to abolish the practice.

Solitary confinement doesn’t work to make correctional facilities or communities safer- -it achieves the opposite, upholding a system of state-sponsored violence often inflicted upon our most vulnerable community members- -over 40% of people in solitary live with mental illness and are unable to get the help they need while in isolation.

The ERASE bill will end the use of solitary confinement in DC, with exceptions for public safety. Our next step? The bill needs a hearing.

Join the ERASE Coalition and the United Nations in demanding a TORTURE FREE DC for all.

LET'S GET THIS HEARING!

The ERASE bill needs a hearing and your legislators need to hear from you! Fill out the form to send a one-click email and/or tweet to your legislators. Let them know that giving ERASE a hearing this fall is crucial to ending torture in DC’s jails.

SOLITARY MYTHS

MYTH #1:

SOLITARY IS
USED FOR
THE WORST
OF THE WORST

FALSE.
Solitary is primarily used for minor infractions like not following an order, or even having too many postage stamps or extra food.

MYTH #3:

SOLITARY MAKES
INCARCERATION
MORE SAFE

FALSE.
People in solitary are deprived of meaningful human interaction and programs, causing additional drastic physical and psychological harm.

MYTH #2:

CHILDREN
ARE NEVER
PUT IN
SOLITARY

FALSE.
There is considerable evidence that thousands of youth are being subjected to solitary confinement, sometimes for months or years.

MYTH #4:

SOLITARY SAVES
MONEY

FALSE.
Solitary confinement costs 2-3 times what it costs to hold people in general population. Banning the practice will also save money by reducing violence, medical expenses, and re-incarceration.

HEY LEGISLATORS

You entered the political arena to make a difference in DC, right? Here’s a chance to make a DC a leader in transformative justice and right a wrong. DC uses solitary confinement more than almost any other state in the US, making it a leader in torture- -and a human rights violator. Torture is not the answer.

Passing ERASE gives us the ability to look towards evidence-based alternatives to isolation, providing exceptions for safety and public health emergencies.

The United Nations has said that prolonged solitary confinement is torture.

DC jail lock downs have been among the longest in the US. Let’s get this right. There are other ways of applying consequences without destroying a person’s dignity, life. With this one bill, DC can go from being a leader in torture to a national leader in transformative justice.

Let’s rewrite DC’s narrative together.

COUNTDOWN TO LEGISLATIVE SESSION

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Thank you Councilmember Cheh for introducing ERASE

The ERASE bill has been introduced, but it still needs a hearing. Email Councilmember Cheh to let her know how important this hearing is to you. We’ve already drafted an email for you, so it’s easy to send in just a few clicks

Thank CM Cheh

Ward Three Councilmember Mary Cheh

ERASE Introducer

THESE COUNCILMEMBERS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU

Chairman Pro Tempore Kenyan R. McDuffie

Co-Sponsor/Ward Five

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds

Ward One Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau

ERASE Co-Sponsor

Ward Four Councilmember Janeese Lewis George

ERASE Co-Sponsor

Ward Eight Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.

Email Now

Let your voice be heard! ERASE needs a hearing in the fall of 2022. Email and tweet at the Councilmembers above, letting them know how important it is that ERASE and its supporters are heard. We’ve made it easy to get in touch with these legislators- -just click on the email button and we do the rest.

ERASING MISTAKES FOR A BETTER DC

ERASE is a chance for DC to correct a mistake: solitary confinement should have never been an option in the first place. With one bill, DC can become a leader in transformative justice.

THE ERASERS

The ERASE Coalition is a group of transformative justice advocates working to make DC a safer, more free state. If you’re interesting in learning more about social justice causes in and around Washington, D.C., engaging with these partners is a wonderful place to start.