In cities and states around the country, police are threatening people with fines and even jail time if they violate stay-at-home orders. While social distancing, quarantine, and isolation are extremely important, these methods of punishment actually pose risks themselves.
Prisons and jails have become hot spots for coronavirus where people are rapidly contracting the disease at high rates. Arrests and unnecessary contact with police and the criminal justice system put people at increased risk, too, but even fines don’t help!
Activists around the country have repeatedly pointed out that the coronavirus stimulus package isn’t enough to support people when it comes to paying bills and utilities. One reason a lot of people have been leaving home is to work “essential jobs” - now this is even more complicated.
Black people cannot trust equal treatment under the law when times are “normal,” but during a pandemic, we shouldn’t have to worry about extra police harassment or incurring debt. It’s important for cities and states to prioritize making people’s lives easier so they don’t feel the need to leave home.
Some places have worked to do this by implementing rent and utility freezes. They’ve also passed important reforms to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) so that we can get on the other side of this. However, what causes us problems will not be a solution.