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UID:Indybay-18771266
SEQUENCE:18892320
CREATED:20150418T203000Z
DESCRIPTION:Sheriff Jim Hart is requesting $47,925 to fence out protesters from the 
 Santa Cruz County Jail. This proposal will be presented and voted on at the 
 Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, April 21st.\n\nThe Sheriff is making 
 an "emergency requisition" to install a seven-foot tall, 364-foot long 
 gated iron fence in order to close off the area of the Santa Cruz County 
 Main Jail's parking lot that is most commonly used by community members for 
 public assembly and political demonstrations. Hart has specifically stated 
 that recent political demonstrations held at the jail are the reason for 
 building the new fence. Due to the lack of a continuous sidewalk along the 
 Blaine Street side of the jail, the installation of the fence will 
 essentially push protesters on to the street if they want to continue to 
 assemble on that side of the jail. \n\nWhat you can do:\n\n- Pack the room 
 on Tuesday! (this item is #22, so will likely be heard late morning/early 
 afternoon; the earlier you can come, the better)\n\n- Write a letter of 
 concern/opposition to the Board of Supervisors (you can email each of them 
 through their webpage: 
 http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Government/BoardofSupervisors.aspx)\n\n- 
 Spread the word! (these things can be influenced with enough community 
 involvement)\n\nThe Sheriff's Written Proposal: 
 \nhttp://sccounty01.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/BDS/Govstream2/Bdsvdata/non_legacy_2.0/agendas/2015/20150421-655/PDF/022.pdf\n____________________________________\n\n*Since 
 these meetings can be long, exhausting, and frustrating--we hope you'll 
 join us for pizza and beer afterwards to decompress!\n\n\nDear Board of 
 Supervisors,\n\nToday we learned that Sheriff Jim Hart is proposing to 
 build a seven-foot tall, 364-foot long gated iron fence around the Santa 
 Cruz County Main Jail’s parking lot, which would cost $47,925 to 
 complete. This proposal will be on the agenda this Tuesday, April 21st. The 
 parking lot where the fence would be built is an area that has been used in 
 the past by community members for public assembly and political 
 demonstrations.\n\nWe are deeply concerned by Sheriff Jim Hart’s proposal 
 for a few reasons. For one, $47,925 is a large amount of tax-payer dollars 
 to spend restricting First Amendment rights. The intention behind 
 demonstrations like those cited by Hart have been held to let inmates know 
 that community members outside care about their well-being and their 
 conditions of incarceration. The few noise demonstrations that have 
 occurred in the past few years were minor disruptions and to our knowledge 
 have never threatened the security of the jail or those inside of it. 
 Community members, specifically those formerly incarcerated, have 
 consistently expressed appreciation of this effort and the ways that it 
 breaks through the isolation and shame that can arise from 
 imprisonment.\n\nWe feel this fence proposal is an extension of the 
 trespassing ordinance (Chapter 10.24) that was passed on February 10th, 
 2015. During that time, we expressed concerns through public comment, a 
 widely-signed petition, and letters sent to Board members. Our concerns 
 were addressed when the Board asked the Sheriff to specify that the 
 ordinance did not intend to stifle free speech and the freedom to assemble, 
 and only concerned the area of the jail already fenced off. Our collective 
 concerns that were validated at that meeting are resurfacing with this 
 proposal.\nFreedom of assembly is a First Amendment right and if the 
 proposed fence were to be constructed, it would not deter activists from 
 assembling in that area. Enhancing the physical and mental health of 
 inmates and available educational resources should be the Sheriff’s top 
 public-safety priority.\n\nIn order to maintain safety and stability inside 
 and outside of the jail, an open, transparent, and accessible process of 
 community input and participation is essential. Because the fence would be 
 ineffective in its stated purpose, we encourage the Sheriff and the Board 
 of Supervisors to prioritize spending $47,925 on long-term solutions to 
 challenges faced by our criminal justice system, such as the Prudent Care 
 for Incarcerated Seniors program. We urge you to be critical of Sheriff 
 Hart’s Fencing Project.\n\nThank you for your consideration,\n\nMembers 
 of Sin Barras\n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/04/18/18771266.php
SUMMARY:No New Fence Around the Jail! - Pack the Board of Supes
LOCATION:Santa Cruz County Government Center, 701 Ocean Street, Room 500, Santa Cruz
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/04/18/18771266.php
DTSTART:20150421T160000Z
DTEND:20150421T190000Z
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