- Target:
- Local D.C. government leaders
- Region:
- United States of America
Picture yourself in prison. Now, picture yourself being deaf in prison and lacking communication with anyone in the outside world. This is the harsh reality of 7% of prisoners nationwide. We are students at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. We are working on a social justice project that focuses on getting video phones, or telecommunication devices with cameras, installed into prisons in the D.C. area so deaf people in prison can easily communicate with lawyers and families.
“Only about 10 to 20 prisons in the country have video phones for deaf inmates.” - National Association for the Deafplaced
Deaf people in prison do not receive the same communication with lawyers that hearing prisoners receive because hearing prisoners can utilize phones to contact lawyers and families. The Americans with Disabilites Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination and ensures equal oppurtunity to persons with disabilities. Many prisons have not followed these regulations, and thus, videophones must be placed in them to accommodate the everyday needs of deaf prisoners.
We, the youth of the DMV area, call on the local government leaders to help pass a legislation that mandates the placement of videophones in local prisons.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Advocation for Video Phones for Deaf in Prison petition to Local D.C. government leaders was written by Isabella Sobolewski and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.