Protecting Reproductive Rights event with Sen. Tina Smith!! 6/15. Join us!!
The US Supreme Court is poised to undo 50 years of formal federal protections for access to abortion care in America! How will this ideological attack on reproductive rights and reproductive health care affect us? What could happen next? What can we do to protect and expand Abortion Access, Reproductive Freedom and Reproductive Justice? What are the options at the federal level, including the path toward Supreme Court Reform/Expansion in America? How secure is legal abortion here in MN and what needs to happen to safeguard and expand reproductive rights in our state?
We’re co-hosting a lunch hour event on the subject with Sen. Tina Smith - Protecting Reproductive Freedom in MN - June 15th, 11.30-12.30. Join us!
We'll hear from... U.S. Senator Tina Smith, 11:30-11:45am Meagan Hatcher Mays, Indivisible National, 11:45-12:05 * Maggie Meyer, Pro-Choice Minnesota, 12:05-12:25
Sign up here.
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Fire Prison Guard Who Sexually Assaulted Inmate and End Pattern of Abuse at Shakopee
Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee have shared a Call to Action…
This April 13th, 2022, Department of Corrections officer Christopher Wendover sexually assaulted Angela Jackson, in solitary confinement, groping her breasts and vaginal area while she was in handcuffs, and threatening her with violence not to tell. Another male guard was present, and while he didn’t directly intervene he did press the panic button, which ended the assault. Angela Jackson reported the information to the people at Shakopee prison and the police. The entire incident should be captured on prison video.
The Department of Corrections has closed this investigation without firing the officer, and until another incarcerated person complained, had officer Wendover staring at Mrs. Jackson every day in the cafeteria. Shakopee Prison has a history of sexual and other abuse, particularly after adding male staff in 1992, including lack of accountability for white officers. Just a few years ago, Sergeant Boegeman was fired from Shakopee for similar misconduct but was rehired in arbitration, so he continues to work at the facility, as well as others implicated.
These are also Department of Corrections wide issues, from failing to stop sexual assault or violence, to holding the mentally ill to solitary confinement, to policy 301.083 which allows the use of segregation for “overflow”, to holding people who are suicidal or a 'threat' naked in "wet cells". Shakopee prison also has bought but refuses to use an airport style body scanner to prevent the regular strip searching of incarcerated people, a procedure many consider sexual assault. Note that a majority of incarcerated women are survivors of sexual violence.
Angela Jackson needs your help via phone call and email --
Call the Scott County Attorney 952-496-8240 and tell them you believe it's important that they prosecute officer Christopher Wendover, Police Case Number 22007875.
Call or email the Commissioner of Corrections paul.schnell@state.mn.us 651-361-7226 and tell him to fire officer Wendover and ensure Angela Jackson is not retaliated against in her job, treatment, and work release placement. Also:
Ask him what he will do to end this pattern of abuse against vulnerable adults in his care
Tell him to start using the body scanner at Shakopee Prison to prevent strip searches which many consider to be sexual assaults, and to invest in them at all facilities
Tell him to medically release the mentally ill instead of sending them to solitary confinement
Finally, call the Attorney General’s office and ask them to investigate the pattern of abuse of in the Department of Corrections and Shakopee Prison in particular: 651-296-3353 -- they can contact us at tc.iwoc@gmail.com.
Sign the petition
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Take Time to Act to Protect Reproductive Rights and Access to Healthcare, and pass the ERA.
Thanks to those who joined us for Time to Act Monday night (May 9). It was a great crowd.
In less than an hour we were able to make a difference. We share our notes for those who can take a minute join the effort after the fact using the instruction sheets below to make it easy for you to know who to contact and what to say. If you can personalize the message, even better, but the following will get your started:
· Patients' Right to Know
· Women's Health Protection Act
· Equal Rights Amendment
Thank you for your activism on these important issues
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Take A Break for Legislative Action: Elections and climate
Now is a good time to tell our legislators what we want. Here are Actions from the MN-Leg Action team to make a difference. Click on an Action to get to the full instruction sheet on how to take the action - the background to the bill and issue, who to contact and what to say. If you can personalize the message, even better.
Thank you for your activism!
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Time to Act - Join Us April 19 - 6pm
The Minnesota Legislature returns from spring break this week. It’s a good time to help them focus on what we want to see happen. So we will be meeting online Tuesday evening to go through actions and scripts to contact legislators on several bills. Please join us, especially if contacting legislators is new to you.
Calls for Tuesday:
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