#EVACUATEFLPRISONS: Urgent Hurricane Ian Phone Zap

Call from Fight Toxic Prisons for a phone-zap in support of prisoners in the path of Hurricane Ian.

As Hurricane Ian, projected to become a Category 3 hurricane in the coming days, threatens Florida over 176,000 people behind prison bars and in detention centers lie directly in its path with no ability to evacuate. We need your help applying pressure to ensure the horrors that happened at FCI Beaumont during Hurricane Harvey and the disaster Florida prisoners had to endure during Hurricane Michael don’t happen again.

This tactic proved effective when we forced North Carolina and Virginia to evacuate prisons ahead of Hurricane Florence!

DEMANDS:

1. MASS RELEASE NOW – For areas not yet impacted, allow incarcerated people to be released to their family members when possible. Start with the elderly and medically compromised.

1. EVACUATE FACILITIES IN EVACUATION ZONES IMMEDIATELY
2. STOCKPILE – Facilities not yet in evacuation zones or unable to evacuate must stockpile food, water, medicine, and sanitation supplies.

When you get a response tweet what they said @FightXPrisons! (Or email FightToxicPrisons@gmail.com)

Phone numbers aren’t working? Tweet us or e-mail with number updates too!

Keep them talking, ask questions, get info. (Email FightToxicPrisons@gmail.com and include “Hurricane Ian” and the Department you called in the email title)!

ALSO: We don’t trust ANY Department of Corrections. Per Jailhouse Lawyers Speak’s advice, “If you know any prisoners in this storm path, it’s important to tell them to fill up any containers or bags with water NOW!! Prisons are notorious for not giving adequate drinking water to prisoners if any at all after the water is contaminated.”

There’s a lot of numbers so maybe get together with some friends and divide up!

CALL/EMAIL SCRIPT:

Hello, I am calling to demand you take immediate action to protect incarcerated people during Hurricane Ian. You must immediately begin evacuations while there is still time to ensure the safety of everyone at your facility. People should be released back to their own families. Finally, for all facilities not yet in evacuation zones, you must begin stockpiling supplies, including: food, water, medicine, and sanitation supplies.

TIPS FOR MAKING CALLS:

• Be firm but polite, insist on speaking to the person you are calling for
• Leave a message if no one answers
• Refuse to give any information that you may be uncomfortable sharing with the state (e.g. full legal name, organizational affiliation, etc.)
• Send any new information gathered from calls to fighttoxicprisons@gmail.com or Tweet @FightXPrisons

WHO TO CALL:

(This is all on Eastern Standard Time- If you’re on the West coast, call early!)

EACH OF THESE JAILS ARE REFUSING TO EVACUATE EVEN THOUGH THEY LIE DEEP IN EVACUATION ZONES OR PREDICTED FLOOD ZONES FROM THE STORM SURGES ! CALL AND DEMAND OUR COMRADES INSIDE BE EVACUATED NOW!

Charlotte County Jail: Tweet at @CCSOFLSheriff

• Jail – 941-833-6300
• Sheriff Bill Prummell – 941-575-5211
  • Sheriff@ccsofl.net
• UPDATE: Sept. 26th, 3:30pm. Charlotte County Jail and its surroundings face a projected 3-9 feet of storm surge alone, not accounting for additional flood risk from heavy rains. Last we checked the sheriff has not yet decided whether or not to evacuate the jail and may only evacuate guards, not those incarcerated with no chance to evacuate themselves.

Monroe County Jail: Tweet at @mcsonews

• Jail- 305-293-7300
• Sheriff Rick Ramsay – (305) 292-7001
  • rramsay@keysso.net
• Media Relations –
  • alinhardt@keysso.net
• UPDATE: Sept. 26th, 3:30pm. Monroe County Jail is a coastal facility in Key West, threatened by storm surge as Hurricane Ian passes.

Hillsborough County Jail: Tweet at @HCSOSheriff and/or @ChadChronister

• Jail – 813-247-8300
• General Line – 813-247-8000
• Public Affairs Office – 813-247-8060
• UPDATE: Sept. 26th, 3:30pm. Hillsborough County Jail is in a mandatory evacuation zone, but the sheriff is planning to leave those incarcerated there to hunker down through the storm!

photo: Anh Nguyen via Unsplash

by Fight Toxic Prisons via It's Going Down