Faith & Community Leaders Lead Caravan Around Columbus to Demand the Early Release of Prisoners Amid COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 24, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT 

Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202) 735-7123
Blyth Barnow, bbarnow@faithinpubliclife.org, (440) 220-2090
Paul Graham, paul@ohorganizing.org, (513) 505-1960
Chazidy Bowman, chazidy@ohorganizing.org, (513) 883-0417

Faith & Community Leaders Lead Caravan Around Columbus to Demand the Early Release of Prisoners Amid COVID-19

Columbus, OH — On Friday, April 24th, over 100 faith leaders and community leaders led vehicles to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and then to the Ohio Statehouse to demand that Gov. Mike DeWine protect prisoners by releasing as many as possible as COVID-19 spreads inside the Ohio prison population. Photos here.

Blyth Barnow, Harm Reduction Faith Manager Ohio, Faith in Public Life:

“People who are incarcerated do not deserve to die because of our lack of imagination. As a faith leader, I am grateful for Gov. DeWine’s bold leadership on behalf of some Ohioans. But as Governor and as a Christian he is called to serve all people, including those who are incarcerated. As Christians our faith compels us to speak life to people and not death. Thus far Governor DeWine has left incarcerated Ohioans to die in overcrowded prisons with little access to basic protective measures like soap, masks and space for social distancing. He must act now by releasing as many people as possible from incarceration. It is the only faithful thing to do.”

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