CALEB news feed and blog

TN Faith Leaders call on Gov. Lee

4/23/2020

Clergy across Tennessee, representing more than 140 congregations and civic organizations, are calling on Gov. Bill Lee to give local governments more freedom to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Chattanooga clergy join statewide call to Gov. Lee to expand coronavirus response

Clergy across Tennessee, representing more than 140 congregations and civic organizations, are calling on Gov. Bill Lee to give local governments more freedom to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Support Tennessee United's Tornado Relief Work!

4/19/2020

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Tennessee United is a grassroots, immigrant-led community organization that has been doing an incredible job responding to the need of residents in Ooltewah whose homes have been devastated by the recent tornado. They've coordinated volunteers and supplies, organized restaurants to donate meals to residents, and connected people to essential services like Red Cross emergency housing. They're on the front lines of response, but they need more resources. CALEB is fundraising to reach $3,000 by this Thursday, April 23rd.

Please donate today with the button below to show your support for their efforts, and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeUnited

Note (4/24/20): Our community really came through! We successfully raised nearly $6,800 for Tennessee United in less than a week. Thank you immensely to all who volunteered, called and donated.

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CALEB General Meeting (Virtual) Tomorrow!

4/8/2020

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We're pausing our scheduled timeline to check in with our members in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. How are our organizations and individuals being affected by these events? What actions are happening around the city and state to address the crisis? What does this mean for our collective work?
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Topic: CALEB Virtual Meeting
Time: Apr 9, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time to 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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https://us04web.zoom.us/j/946983700

Meeting ID: 946 983 700

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CALEB joins call for TN to free up local action

4/6/2020

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People across the state have worked tirelessly to help those in need, to give comfort where needed, and to ensure that all of our communities have everything needed to keep their homes, their families safe, and not worry about money during these unprecedented times. Now it’s time for Gov. Lee and the State Legislature to do the same. We're joining with groups across the state to call on the governor to relax overly restrictive state laws and give local governments the freedom to best address the Covid19 crisis.

An open letter to Tennessee's State and Local Elected Leaders about The Covid-19 Response

While the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis requires bold action from leaders at the state and national level, local governments have a critical role in addressing the unique impacts of the pandemic on their communities. Congress has taken some dramatic steps to get needed relief to workers, businesses and state and local governments.

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Tennesssee needs to act quickly

4/3/2020

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Decarceration is necessary before it's too late

Well before the pandemic, jailing was failing in Tennessee. Last year, 57% of people incarcerated locally in Hamilton County were held pretrial, meaning they hadn’t been convicted of their crime and were presumed innocent. Although eligible for release, many of those defendants couldn’t afford their bonds; often negligible amounts. The overcrowding of local jails has resulted in enormous expenses, with our two facilities costing the county over $100,000 per day. Similar stories multiply across the state. In rural Hamblen County, TN, a lawsuit was recently filed over excessive bond amounts and resulting overcrowding, with the jail operating at 170% over capacity. In the state prison system, 39% of people sentenced to state facilities are there for “technical violations;” non-criminal violations of probation or parole restrictions.

COVID-19 now threatens these overcrowded facilities like fire near an oil tanker, and the alarms are sounding. Because incarcerated people are unable to follow recommended restrictions on separation and social distancing, transmission is an extreme risk. Correctional officers in Memphis have already tested positive for the virus. On March 24th, 40 organizations filed a petition to the Tennessee Supreme Court seeking immediate steps to decarcerate; their recommendations follow many clear and longstanding calls for reform. The following day, the Supreme Court extended their Order prohibiting in-person proceedings while requiring local judges to submit a plan for decarceration. According to Chief Justice Bivens, “There are low-risk, non-violent offenders who can safely be released and supervised by other means to reduce local jail populations. Judges, law enforcement, and attorneys must work together to identify and create an action plan to address this issue.”

On Friday, March 27th, the Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judges filed their plan. It lists the past month’s reductions in the jail populations for the Hamilton County Jail (-5.6%), as well as Silverdale (-21.7%). For the duration of the Tennessee court response to COVID-19, magistrates can change warrants for nonviolent offenses and technical violations to court summons. The court also encourages law enforcement to use criminal summons in lieu of arrest at their discretion. Officers look to be taking the recommendation seriously; weekly jail bookings have dropped by 65% from the first week of March. Clearly when there is the will to act, substantial changes can be made.

Local measures to curb arrests are having some effect, as shown by the drop in jail bookings.

This same commitment to reduction hasn’t affected the state facilities, and the Tennessee Dept of Corrections states that "there are no plans for early release because of the coronavirus." Yet there is plenty of room to act. Tennessee should stop locking people up for behaviors that, for people not on parole or probation, would not warrant incarceration. If parole officers initiate the revocation process, schedule revocation hearings after the public health concerns have subsided. There are also opportunities for “compassionate release” for elderly offenders whose incarceration poses an extreme risk during the pandemic. Individuals eligible for parole or probation over the next six months should be released.

The goalposts for parole have shifted further and further back over the past decade, as eligible petitioners have faced increasing denials and deferrals. See: www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2019/11/22/tennessees-parole-board-needs-significant-reform/4264465002/

In our work maintaining the Hamilton County Community Bail Fund, CALEB continues to help individuals and families whose only barrier to freedom is wealth. We too share the goal of community safety, but we recognize that the incarceration system that we’ve inherited also produces community harm. Criminal sentencing shouldn’t come with the threat of deadly illness. Governor Lee can make decisions that support more proactive local efforts.

That's why CALEB has joined with Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) and Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and HOPE (MICAH), sending a letter to Gov. Lee to add our voices to the call for more effective decarceration measures within the Department of Correction. Our letter can be seen below.