Feel free to use as much of this drafted communication as you would like, and customize to fit your needs and intended audience.
Dear _________,
Thank you for your service to our city/county/state/district/country. I’m reaching out to you regarding concerns I have regarding the disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on some of my most vulnerable fellow constituents.
Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color are disproportionately arrested, indebted, and incarcerated by the criminal justice system. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of Oct. 2020 Black inmates made up 38.5 percent of the national incarcerated population.
The percentage of Black Americans in the U.S. population? 13.4 percent.
This dynamic of Black people being imprisoned at a ratio of three times their demographic representation can and must change. To address this emergency, I’m requesting that you please do all you can to enact or influence adoption of policies that:
- Hold prosecutors accountable and accelerate prosecutor reform.
- End money bail.
- End profit incentives fueling mass incarceration.
- Decriminalize poverty and stop unnecessary prosecutions.
- Implement fair sentencing laws and sentence reductions.
- Stop prison expansion and prison labor exploitation.
- Stop anti-black violence and vigilantes.
Thank you for your time and consideration on these matters. Feel free to contact me if I can provide additional clarity on my requests.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your City and State
