We support a truly independent civilian review board that will support the rights of detainees and inmates, en route to the ending of the ICE contract and all immigrant detention, as well as the closing of the jail and the abolition of the carceral state.
However, this is not that body, and we reject County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, whose past words and actions show he cannot be trusted to humanely run the facility he uses as a tool of revenue-generation, playing any role whatsoever in making appointments or exercising influence over this body. Judge Linares is a man of no small accomplishment, but as DiVincenzo’s college football buddy, he lacks the necessary distance to run a truly independent body. And as a member, as recently as 2010, of the Republican Party, an organization defined by its rank bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, and nativism, we inherently distrust his capacity to stand up for our marginalized and vulnerable community members inside ECCF.
While we respect our comrades at the ACLU calling this “a critical step forward,” we also know that politically, this is intended as the one and final step. It is insufficient, and we reject such half-measures. We demand a truly independent civilian review board, not a cosmetic public-relations gesture in the form of this task force. Joe Divincenzo must be removed entirely from the process of forming and administering this body, period.
3. While we respect our comrades at the ACLU calling this “a critical step forward,” we also know that politically, this is intended as the one and final step. It is insufficient, and we reject such half-measures. We demand a truly independent civilian review board, not a cosmetic public-relations gesture in the form of this task force. Joe Divincenzo must be removed entirely from the process of forming and administering this body, period.