No New Jail for SF

PETITION: http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51040/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=11841

We, the undersigned, support expansion of community programs not jails! San Francisco plans to spend anywhere from $290-$465 Million to build a new jail to house 588-640 people on Bryant & 6th St. This construction will burden taxpayers with 30 years of debt, and does not need to happen. We are asking the Board of Supervisors to revaluate the rebuilding of the Hall of Justice, and specifically demand that you stop the construction of the new or “replacement” jail.

We have identified many ways that San Francisco could lead the way in reducing jail population more than it has already. These ways include:

• 35% of jail capacity is not currently being used and an entire jail (CJ #6) is sitting empty. New community programming could reduce jail use even more.
• A current proposal to expand pre-trial release by 500 people would allow CJ #3 and #4 to be closed without re-opening CJ #6.
• Nearly 75% of the people housed in the San Francisco jail are awaiting trial, essentially being held because they are poor. Common sense bail reform could keep these people in the community and reduce jail populations and costs.

Jails and prisons have been known to unfairly target communities of color and poor communities and San Francisco is not an exception. With a city population that is 6% African American and a jail population that is 56% African American, we are continuing a legacy of disproportionately incarcerating poor communities of color. Adding jail space will make this pattern worse, not better. We will not allow our jail system to operate as an income mechanism on the backs of poor and black and homeless Californians. We need stronger communities, not new jails.

We agree with Sheriff Mirkarimi that California needs sentencing reform, but we disagree that San Francisco voters should pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a new jail due to legislative inaction & cowardice. The Sheriff and city officials must work together on bail reform, sentencing reform, increased use of pre-trial alternatives, and treatment, not incarceration. All these reforms will result in fewer jails and less need for jail beds.

Our poorest communities suffer from lack of investment and we have identified specific areas where the proposed jail money could be better spent. $10M would house 300 of our city's poorest families for a year in subsidized apartments; and $5M would prevent homelessness for 6,500 SF families. With $290-$435M, we could end homelessness in San Francisco, rather than perpetuate the cycle of homeless people in and out of jail.

We, the undersigned, ask that you say NO to San Francisco’s Jail construction, and YES to San Francisco community construction.

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See Also: No New Jails Poster Printing Party. (11/1/14)
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/28/18763416.php