Author: Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

Categories
Freedom Campaigns

Freedom Campaigns: Charles Joseph

Join our Freedom Campaign for Charles Joseph

  • Watch the 15-minute film Bula above, then host a screening with your community! Let us know about your screening plans in this survey.
  • Sign and share his petition: bit.ly/KeepCharlesHome-petition
  • Share his story and write a letter of support for Charles Joseph using this toolkit: bit.ly/KeepCharlesHome
  • Invite Charles to speak at your faith community!

Learn More About Charles Joseph

Photo of Charles Joseph

In California, prison and ICE collaboration impacts immigrants and refugees who have served time in state prison. Instead of returning to their families, immigrants who are found suitable for parole are directly transferred into ICE detention facilities where they await deportation.

This form of double-punishment and exile is cruel and separates families. As the faith community, we are called to practice forgiveness, generosity and compassion for immigrants, and those who are incarcerated. 

One way to stop this prison-to-ICE-to-deportation pipeline is for Governor Newsom to intervene and grant pardons for Charles Joseph, Liyah Birru, and other beloved community members.

Charles Joseph is an example of one community member impacted by this prison and ICE collaboration. Charles is a father, husband, artist, musician, and Indo-Fijian leader. He came to the U.S. from Fiji as a permanent resident as a teenager. After being imprisoned at age 22, Charles transformed his life while serving his 13 year sentence by participating in violence prevention programs and developing his artistic talent. However, after winning parole, because of current policy, he was transferred directly into ICE detention and is now facing deportation.

“Charles’ story illustrates the immorality of our legal system, where his conduct as a 22 year old youth is being used to permanently deprive him of the basic right to go home, and reunite with his family and community.” says his lawyer, Francisco Ugarte, SF Public Defender

If Charles is deported to Fiji it would create more trauma for his family. His wife Shelly says, “With my husband in detention it’s already a separation, but for him to think that he may not be able to come home and the uncertainty makes it unstable for me and my family emotionally and physically. A pardon will be our last hope to finally become complete and be a family.”

UPDATE: On April 13, 2020, Charles was released from Mesa Verde Detention Center after a Federal Judge ordered ICE to release him along with three others detained who were at risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 infection. Charles is currently living at home with his family in Sacramento, continuing to support the efforts to release others still detained by ICE and continuing to pursue his pardon application with Governor Newsom.

More Videos featuring Charles Joseph

Charles Joseph, and others in the Mesa Verde detention center, speak on Define American, July 16. 2020.
Charles Joseph Pardon Campaign Event held on August 30, 2020. The co-sponsors for this event included Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California, Asian Prisoner Support Committee, Kehilla Community Synagogue, San Francisco Public Defenders, Congregation B’Nai Israel Sacramento, SacAct, All of Us Or None – Sacramento, Jewish for Voice for Peace-Sacramento, NorCal Resist, KWESI, Restore Justice, and UC Davis Asian American Studies Dept.

Charles Joseph spoke on KALW’s Uncuffed podcast on April 8, 2019.

Categories
Accompaniment NEAT Stories

Accompanying family here and abroad: Marvin and Indira

Marvin, Indira and their family together at our 2020 NEAT Potluck Celebration

With Nueva Esperanza (NEAT) accompaniment by Congregation B’nai Tikvah and Temple Isaiah of Contra Costa County, Marvin, Indira, and their family have reached their goals to enroll their daughter in school, find legal assistance, and start employment.

Recently, Marvin’s sister was diagnosed with cancer and he asked the congregations accompanying him if they could help fundraise for her treatment. Please read their GoFundMe to hear their story and share to raise funds!

Help Glenda Aguilera Espinoza fight her cancer in Nicaragua. The government of Nicaragua is cracking down on any dissent from its citizens. Anyone speaking out against government repression can face violent punishment and even death. Glenda’s brother and his family have fled Nicaragua and have been granted entry to the United States to pursue an asylum claim. But the family that remains in Nicaragua is very poor and the family now in the United States is barely getting by and so has little extra money to send home to help Glenda with her cancer treatment… [read more]

Learn more about Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity’s Nueva Esperanza Accompaniment Team program.

Categories
Updates

Stop the San Quentin Outbreak

Photo featuring Alumita Siva. Photo by David Bacon

“Every person now in SQ is on death row. We pray also for the guards, staff and their families. they too deserve our compassion today. People treated as if their lives are expendable, but every person’s life is precious here.”
-Rabbi David Cooper, Emeritus, Kehilla Community Synagogue

On July 19, the interfaith community and families impacted by incarceration honored the lives lost in San Quentin due to COVID-19, called for the end of transfers, and lifted up the call for more releases. To view the powerful images from the vigil, see the photographs from local photographers David Bacon and Joyce Xi.

See the video here: https://vimeo.com/440742675

Our Interfaith Vigil lifted up the following demands, in line with the demands from loved ones who are incarcerated, including the campaigns for #ActNowNewsom (bit.ly/actnownewsom)  and #StopSQOutbreak (bit.ly/StopSQOutbreakDemands):

  • Governor Newsom must begin the process of drastically reducing the overall prison population to below 50% of current capacity. In order to achieve this level of decarceration, Governor Newsom must grant releases without categorical exclusions based on crimes of commitment or sentencing but be based on the current level of risk not past offenses.  We know that people can change and transform their lives.  Releases must include those who are serving Life Without Parole sentences, who are actually at the lowest risk of reoffending, and those on Death Row who comprise a majority of deaths by COVID-19. Release should be to families, the faith community, or community-based re-entry programs – not other prisons.
  • Governor Newsom and CDCR must immediately stop all transfers between California prisons, and from prisons to ICE detention centers. Transfers continue to spread the disease inside the prison system, to staff and outside communities. Immigration transfers of people who earn release and parole.  We believe all people are sacred and deserving of life, regardless of past convictions. 
  • Governor Newsom must release people beginning with those most vulnerable people, including transgender people, elderly, disabled, and those medically vulnerable. Transgender people are at disproportionate risk of harm and violence in prison. Prisons should not be a death sentence. All life is precious.
  • Immediately improve the care and treatment for people inside San Quentin. This includes restoring access to phones to communicate to loved ones, adequate testing, access to PPE, improved sanitation, hot meals, etc. This also includes, CDCR must ensure that the incarcerated trans community has access to hormones and healthcare immediately – before and after their release. We demand that all people imprisoned be treated with mercy, compassion, and human decency.

Call to Action: Join us to tweet, email, and call the Governor! Hashtags:  #StopSanQuentinOutbreak  #FreeThemAll  #FreeThemAllGov #StopICETransfers

See this Toolkit for ways more information: bit.ly/SQVigilToolkit

Ways to Stop the San Quentin Outbreak

Photo featuring opening prayer by Dean Hoaglin, Coast Miwok Indigenous Leader. Photo by Joyce Xi

Sample scripts, emails, and tweets can be found in the San Quentin Interfaith Vigil Toolkit.