Posted on 01/13/2021 4:16:58 AM PST by real saxophonist
Simmons, Broncos teammates call on Polis to release medically-vulnerable inmates
By: Ryan Osborne
Jan 12, 2021
DENVER — Broncos All-Pro safety Justin Simmons is calling on Gov. Jared Polis to release more medically-vulnerable inmates from Colorado prisons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson and cornerback De'Vante Bausby joined Simmons in an ad with the American Civil Liberties Union to push Polis "to intervene in order to save lives and undo decades of massive and ineffective carceral growth in our state," according to an ACLU Colorado news release.
“Today a Black person has a one-in-three chance of ending up in prison,” Simmons said in the ad. “For us, that would be like losing 19 members of our football team. That would be a major loss for us just as it is for our communities.”
State officials have made some efforts to reduce prison and jail populations during the pandemic, though some of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the state have been in those facilities.
The Broncos players are pushing for Polis "to do more — to boldly exercise his clemency powers to undo the harms of mass incarceration and champion racial justice in Colorado" by releasing inmates "who pose no public safety risk," the news release said.
The push from Simmons, Johnson and Bausby is the latest effort from Broncos players toward social justice and reform.
Broncos players marched last summer in the wake of George Floyd's death, and in August the team decided to cancel practice following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
"We have an amazing platform as players as the most prestigious organizations to make a change," Simmons told Denver7 in August.
At the time, Simmons told Denver7 that the plan moving forward was to get Governor Polis and Mayor Hancock "to the table" to create impactful change.
"We were hitting some things that are going to affect immediate change, talking about police reform, education reform. Honestly, holding our organization accountable from top down," Simmons said in August.
"If guys are speaking out we want to make sure we are held accountable. But, we brought up Demaryius Thomas and Brandon Marshall taking a knee, and we felt like the organization didn't have their back when they were down there protesting. They just felt alone. They were losing sponsorships, and obviously the fans had a lot to say about it. And it just felt like they were alone. We talk about how our voices are important, but how important are they if they we are not backed by those who have are backs when we are wearing their name across our chests?"
Simmons was the Broncos' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2019 and 2020. Last year the team cited Simmons' social justice work, along with his $10,000 donation to Denver Public Schools Foundation's Food Security Fund, which helped ensure children continued to receive free or reduced-cost meals during the pandemic.
They don’t hire them for their reasoning ability.
Another reason reason why Ihavent watched a single game for the past several seasons.. Felons advocating for felons.
Maybe if one in three were not committing a crime... (And that’s just how many were caught)
The National Felons League does care about other people - but only their fellow felons.
“Today a Black person has a one-in-three chance of ending up in prison,”
Thought of that line from the Jim Carrey film “Liar, Liar” where he tells the repeat offender “stop robbing banks a*****e”
Tryin’ to get cuz out, LOL.
Yo. Demetrius, you be knowin it’s a revolvin’ door.
They should be let out to live in the Bronco players houses (wives and children in the same house) with GPS ankle bracelets. The players who spoke to be fully responsible for their actions. They should agree to do time in prison for any crime the released commit while under their custody.
When they say they are willing to do that, when they have skin in the game, then I will agree with them. Otherwise it’s just some poor random family that has to injured again.
How about they just give them free medical care instead?
“Let my criminals go!”
I love the passive voice here, as if these black people didn't commit a crime that resulted in them going to prison, they just kind of ended up there. I can't believe friends and family are still watching Thugball.
Excellent response...brilliant response.
Of course the 2 and 14 Colon Kapernick...and his pals...have caused me to take the pledge and swear off the NFL for life. I haven't watched a second of FL coverage since February. God only knows how many ads for Range Rovers,Mediterranean cruises and Rolex watches I've missed.
You are right! make them sponsors... Let them out under the condition these players are 100% responsible for room and board plus any and all actions. And the convicts have to live UNDER the same roof as their sponsors.
How about telling them to stop committing crimes?
Or are you so stupid that you think they're locked up "because of the color of their skin?"
I'm for releasing them - straight onto house arrest in YOUR home and that of the ACLU staff.
Imprisonment is a result of BEHAVIOR, not race. How about this: Don't break the law.
“Thank God we got penitentiaries” - Richard Pryor
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