Unitarian Universalists Say No More People in Cages, Starting with the Spokane County Jail
June 6, 2019
Marchaé Grair
(617) 948-4386
Spokane, WA — The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has a clear message for Spokane County Commissioners: Stop expanding jails, and stop putting people in cages.
On June 20 at 12 p.m., Unitarian Universalists will host a march and rally challenging the plan by Spokane’s Board of County Commissioners to expand the Spokane County Jail.
“A principle of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition proclaims ‘the inherent worth and dignity of every person.’ Caging people denies their dignity and denies our collective potential to normalize reconciliation and restorative justice. We must end the expansion of jails because there is a better way,” said UUA President the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray.
The name of the march and rally, “Demand Smart Justice for Spokane,” gives a nod to the Smart Justice Coalition. The Smart Justice Coalition is a coalition of more than 30 organizations advocating to end mass incarceration in Spokane. In addition to the SMART Justice Coalition, Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane and the NAACP Spokane Spokane Community Against Racism will also attend the event.
Featured speakers for “Demand Smart Justice for Spokane” include:
Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, President of the UUA
Niki Lockwood, Every Student Counts Alliance of Spokane
Liz Moore, Executive Director, Peace and Justice Action League Spokane
Carmen Pacheco-Jones, Spokane County’s Regional Law & Justice Council Racial Equity Committee
Kurtis Robinson, President of NAACP Spokane
Angel Tomeo Sam, The Bail Project Spokane
Sandy Williams, Black Lens News
The event reflects the UUA’s commitment to end mass incarceration. Mass incarceration has the most significant impact on Black and Brown people. Washington state is no different. Spokane incarcerates Black, Native and Brown people at a higher rate than they are represented in the general population.
The rally is part of General Assembly, an annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists.
You can find a preliminary schedule of General Assembly events and presentations in the online program.
The UUA is a religious association of congregations established in 1961 via the consolidation of the Universalist Church of America (organized in 1793) and the American Unitarian Association (organized in 1825). With the membership of more than 1,000 independently governed congregations in the United States, Canada, and overseas, the UUA helps UU congregations thrive and promotes the values of Unitarian Universalism.