May 21, 2020

We won! First of its kind Federal order during COVID-19

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 the lives of everyone inside Oakland County Jail and the community at large, Federal Court Judge Linda V. Parker granted a preliminary injunction which orders medically vulnerable people to be released from the jail because Oakland County cannot safely protect them from the grave risk of serious harm posed by COVID-19.

This is a huge win! We are proud to have worked with Civil Rights Corps and ACLU of Michigan in support of our phenomenal partner, Michigan Liberation, on the first Federal Court win ordering the release of medically vulnerable people from our country’s jails during COVID-19. We couldn’t have done it without the added support of law firms Pitt McGehee Palmer & Rivers P.C. and LaRene & Kriger P.L.C.

We also couldn’t have done this without you! Today’s win shows that your donations have a real impact. If you’re able, please consider making a gift today to help us get more wins like this across the country.

Related coverage of our #FreeAndSafe campaign:

The Detroit News: Judge orders Oakland Co. Jail to submit list of inmates for release consideration
USA Today: My locked up brother is no threat to society, but coronavirus threatens him
Newsweek: We’re Not Angry Paul Manafort Was Released. We’re Angry Millions of Others Weren’t | Opinion
Miami Herald: Nearly 500 Miami jail inmates, a staggering 41 percent tested, have caught the coronavirus
Local 10: Judge orders Miami-Dade to increase coronavirus protections at Metro West Detention Center
The Oakland Press: Oakland County Jail official says adequate social distancing for inmates is possible

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