Common’s #WeMatterToo Push Urges Jail Releases Amid Virus
The campaign, dubbed #WeMatterToo, is urging authorities to immediately release people who have served the vast majority of their sentences, especially if they have underlying health conditions
“Every sentence shouldn’t be a death sentence.” Hear from people who are currently incarcerated around the country about the impact of COVID-19 and take action today WeMatterToo.co.
By Aaron Morrison, NBC New York
Rapper and activist Common went into quarantine concerned about incarcerated people he has met during visits to jails, prisons and juvenile detention centers around the U.S. and who aren't able to maintain social distance or adopt rigorous hygiene routines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s a troubling time for them,” Common said, “because they are the people who usually are overlooked.”
On Wednesday, his criminal justice reform organization Imagine Justice launched a campaign with dozens of advocacy and activist groups calling attention to the threat that the coronavirus pandemic poses on millions of men, women and youths who are incarcerated in the U.S.
The campaign, dubbed #WeMatterToo, is urging authorities to immediately release people who have served the vast majority of their sentences, especially if they have existing health conditions that put them at greater risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. Although state and local correctional institutions have already released thousands of people from confinement due to the pandemic, supporters of the campaign also want governments to pay for testing and housing for inmates after they are released.
Common said he also hopes to create greater public awareness about what happens inside the nation's jails and prisons and the impact that has on society.
“We all have unanswered questions about the pandemic,” the Grammy and Academy Award winning rapper said. “But being in prison adds new levels to that questioning, because of the way that people have been treated in prison.”
