Stop Solitary, Pass Breonna’s Law – Sign The Petition!

We are working to put two binding ballot questions on the May 2021 ballot.

This will take 27,000 valid signatures, collected between December 29 and February 16.

We need everyone’s help to make this happen!

1. Stop Solitary Confinement

As detailed in the lawsuit filed by advocates against the Allegheny County Jail in October 2020, people inside the ACJ are routinely subjected to long stretches in solitary confinement as, essentially, punishment for having a mental illness. One chilling example:

“Plaintiff…is currently incarcerated at ACJ and has been since February 2015. He suffers from psychiatric disabilities, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Mr. Byrd has been repeatedly issued misconducts and kept in solitary confinement for seeking mental health or medical care, and he has been repeatedly assaulted with a taser, sprayed with OC spray, and placed in the restraint chair. He has been placed in the restraint chair approximately 20 times or more, including one instance of being strapped to the chair for 28 hours. These conditions have caused his mental health to deteriorate, and led to a series of selfharm attempts.”

Our ballot initiative will virtually end this barbaric practice, currently deployed by jail authorities in lieu of providing actual mental healthcare.

2. “Breonna’s Law” To Ban No-Knock Warrants In Pittsburgh

Pass “Breonna’s Law” In Pittsburgh!

This May, the voters of Pittsburgh have the power to ban the use of “no-knock” raids by police.

These raids became infamous this past march, when Louisville police executed a no-knock warrant at the home of emergency room technician Breonna Taylor, opened fire when her boyfriend shot at these (announced) intruders, hitting her with eight bullets and killing her.

Pittsburgh, too, has suffered. In the past six years, multiple settlements costing hundreds of thousands of dollars have been reached between the city and victis of such police raids. This is unacceptable; while the practice has been supposedly discontinued temporarily, we must prohibit it altogether through an amendment to the city charter.

Thank you — and please share!