Hurricane Katrina claimed more than 1,800 lives, including over 500 inmates, many of whom were not incarcerated for violent offenses. I personally hold the memory of that tragedy and fear for the lives of the inmates currently housed in south west Florida's evacuation zones A and B. These areas are among the most hurricane-prone in Florida, with storms such as Irma in 2017 causing extensive damage. Despite this, prisons in these evacuation zones are not currently required to evacuate in advance of hurricanes. This is an oversight that endangers countless lives, largely of non-violent offenders who pose no threat to the community. We demand a policy change that makes evacuation mandatory for all jails and correctional facilities in these zones. Please, protect these lives before the next storm hits. We urge everyone who hears this plea to join us in our call for justice.

Currently in SouthEast Florida there is Manatee County Jail that is in evacuation zone A and has not evacuated the inmates nor plans to do so. Officials said if the water rises, they will move the inmates to the second floor of the two-story jail. This is a very dangerous situation with over 10 feet of storm surge and over 10 feet of rain, on a coastal area that can only tolerate 11 feet of water. We must advocate for our people and press DeSantis to take action to evacuate the incarcerated to a safer zone. Our officials will be held accountable. We demand a systematic evacuation plan for incarcerated individuals now and for the future to ensure the safety of these individuals. Sign the petition and help save these lives.