LEGISLATIVE CALL TO ACTION: TELL CONGRESS THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS' POLICIES WILL ONLY PUT MORE BLACK MEN AND BOYS IN PRISON.
MOBB United MOMS: Attorney General Sessions is testifying before Congress next week and our voices need to be heard. Don't let Sessions continue to target our sons for profit.
BACKGROUND
This week, the House Appropriations Committee will hear testimony from U.S. Attorney General Sessions on the Department of Justice's proposed budget for FY 2018. The budget proposed by Attorney General Sessions takes funds away from fighting discrimination and violations of civil rights and, instead, puts it towards policing, criminalization, and fueling mass incarceration, through reversing the Obama Administration's ban on the federal use of private prisons. This represents a dramatic shift in criminal justice policy, calling for things like mandatory minimum sentences in order to target "drug dealing, gun crime and gang violence," which we know to be an effective euphemism to target black communities, particularly black men and boys. This policy will put our son's lives at risk for the sole benefit of profit to the private prison industry. There are no facts or data substantiating a return to these draconian policies. White and black people both use drugs at roughly the same rate, and yet black people are about four-times as likely to be arrested on drug charges.
CALL TO ACTION:
Call the House Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations Committee Members now to let them know that our sons' lives matter and that these policies will do nothing but further criminalize black men and boys.
Making a call is easy. You should call at least three representatives on the Appropriations committee that will be holding the hearing this week.
Republicans
1. John Culbertson 202-225-2571 (Chairman)
2. Hal Rogers 202-225-4601
3. Robert Aderholt 202-225-4876
4. John Carter 202-225-3864
5. Martha Roby 202-225-2901
6. Steve Palazzo 202-225-5772
7. Evan Jenkins 202-225-3452 (Vice Chair)
Democrats
1. Jose Serrana 202-225-4361 (Ranking member)
2. Derek Kilmer 202-225-5916
3. Matt Cartwright 202-225-5546
4. Grace Ment 202-225-2601
Here's what to say when they answer:
- Hi, I'm calling on behalf of the organization Mothers of Black Boys United for Social Change an organization of more than 175,000 mom's to demand that your representative doesn't let Sessions off the hook during his budget hearing next week.
- This proposed budget will put our son's lives at risk for the sole benefit of profit to the private prison industry. Attorney General Sessions' ties to the private prison industry are questionable at best and the fact that private prisons will once again see profit surges that disproportionately target black communities is reprehensible.
- There are no facts or data substantiating a return to these draconian policies. White and black people both use drugs at roughly the same rate, and yet black people are about four-times as likely to be arrested on drug charges.
- After receiving legally questionable donations from private prison contractor GEO Group, the administration is pushing policies that will directly benefit the company’s bottom line by putting more Black men and boys in prison and fueling mass incarceration.
- We need to take Sessions to task on this and demand that he give an answer. Will you make sure Sessions is asked about the administration’s political ties to private prison contractor GEO Group?
PLEASE REPORT ANY INFORMATION GATHERED FROM YOUR CALLS TO OUR CHAT GROUP OR OUR SOCIAL LINK PAGE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WOKE ENOUGH TO BE INVOLVED!