Louder Than Words

As you know, our Justice Project team has been working hard to combat the spread of coronavirus in jails nationwide to keep communities #FreeAndSafe – and today, WE WON! Today, civil rights and racial justice groups have won freedom for medically vulnerable people inside the Oakland County Jail in Michigan, and family members will soon welcome home loved ones eligible to serve their sentence while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [READ MORE HERE] In response to ours and our partners’ claims that county officials are risking…

Civil Rights, Racial Justice Organizations Win Michigan Lawsuit Granting Immediate Release of Medically Vulnerable People During COVID-19 Pandemic

“If I fall, I’ll fall five feet four inches in the direction of freedom. I’m not backing off.” -Fannie Lou Hamer By Maya Boddie Over the past few months, life has looked different. Schools have closed their doors. Primary elections were delayed or canceled. What we once knew to be normal is no more.  But one thing has remained the same: the need for our work here at Advancement Project National Office. Our model is perfectly situated for us to be first responders in this moment. In the midst of warranted fatigue falling on our lawyers, communications experts, organizers and…

Powered by the People #FreeBlackMamas is an annual campaign by National Bail Out seeking to raise awareness about the human and financial costs of money bail and emphasize its impact on Black mothers and caregivers. This year, we’re supporting our partner Michigan Liberation in their goal of raising $60,000 to help free Black mamas throughout Michigan. And as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout jails and prisons in the state, the need to protect and save the lives of Black mothers is more critical now than ever. To raise awareness about the harsh reality facing incarcerated Black mothers, Advancement Project…

Georgia resident, 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, was killed by father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael in February. The nation learned of the killing this week by way of unearthed video footage two months later. The McMichaels have yet to be arrested for the egregious incident and have said they thought Arbery, who was jogging, was thought to be a burglar. In response, Advancement Project National Office offers the following statement.

MEDIA CONTACTS Zerline Hughes Spruill, 202-487-0967, [email protected] Joshua Garner, 240-326-3874, [email protected]   Advocates warn outbreak is imminent inside county jail Wayne County, MI—Today, several civil rights and racial justice groups filed a federal lawsuit calling for the release of people inside Wayne County Jail, arguing that county officials are risking the lives of everyone inside and the community at large because of their failure to respond to the threat of COVID-19. Naming Wayne County, Sheriff Benny Napoleon, Undersheriff Daniel Pfannes, Chief of Jails and Court Operations Robert Dunlap, and Deputy Chief of Jail Operations James E. Davis, the…

Media Contacts: Maya Boddie, [email protected] Amber English Coleman, [email protected] Takara Robinson, [email protected]     Local and national civil rights organizations win order to ensure the health and safety of people confined in Metro West Detention Center’s jail cells MIAMI, FL – In federal court on April 29, Advancement Project National Office, Community Justice Project, Inc., Civil Rights Corps, GST LLP, DLA Piper and Dream Defenders, won an order for Miami’s Metro West Detention Center to follow the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Health Guidelines for the next 45 days.

CONTACT Jeralyn Cave, Advancement Project National Office, [email protected], (202) 921-7321 Shanae Bass, Demos, [email protected] Christiaan Perez, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, [email protected], (212) 739-7581     Civil Rights Organizations Renew Call for Emergency Accommodations for State’s August and November Election.  TALLAHASSEE – Today, a coalition of racial justice organizations renewed legal action against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee, demanding emergency accommodations to the state’s election procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The updated complaint, filed by Dream Defenders, New Florida Majority, Organize Florida, Advancement Project National Office, Demos and…

Media Contacts: Joshua Garner, 240-326-3874, [email protected]   Jail officials have 10 days to take steps to protect the health of people inside the facility Oakland County, MI – On April 17, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit filed by a group of civil rights and racial justice organizations requiring the Oakland County Jail to follow the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines to protect the health of people locked inside and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted the win in favor…

MEDIA CONTACTS Joshua Garner, 240-326-3874, [email protected]   Advocates warn outbreak is imminent inside county jail Oakland County, MI – Today several civil rights and racial justice groups filed a federal lawsuit calling for the release of medically vulnerable people inside the Oakland County Jail, arguing that county officials are risking the lives of everyone inside and the community at large because of their failure to respond to the threat of COVID-19. Naming Oakland County, its Sheriff, Michael Bouchard, and Commander of Corrective Services Curtis D. Childs, the lawsuit filed by Advancement Project National Office, American Civil Liberties Union…