The Cuyahoga County ACLU Action Team is assessing Cuyahoga County Executive Candidates, starting a new justice reading group, and taking new actions to eliminate cash bail. Join our one hour monthly meeting Thursday, January 13 at 5 pm on zoom to find out all about it. Register Here
Members of UUCC Racial Justice Team work with other groups to make our voice stronger. Some members of the UUCC Racial Justice Leadership Team are also members of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). Here is an example of the work that they do. If this work calls to you reach out and join UUCC Racial Justice Team and the ACLU Action Committee.
Hello Cuyahoga County Action Team Members,
Thank you all for attending last week’s Cuyahoga County Action Team meeting. It’s wonderful to connect with new members and strategize with familiar faces. Every meeting, testimony submission, policy conversation, and video submission makes a difference towards advancing this campaign – we are immensely grateful for your time and sustained leadership.
I’ve attached a PDF of the meeting slides above. Committee next steps are listed below. Note: you can engage in one or multiple committee action items.
| COMMITTEE | GOALS | Due dates: |
| Research | Review updated dossier for County Executive Armond Budish (thank you to Isabella for completing!) Begin dossier for Prosecutor O’Malley Begin dossier for County Executive candidates Lee Weingart, Chris Ronayne, and Annette Blackwell | Due by January 13th |
| Communications | Begin compiling bail reform readings for the groupSubmit reading material to the communications google drive folder Continue submitting letters-to-the-editor or blogs to promote the legislation (templates can be found here) Are you connected to faith leaders in the area? Ask them why they support reform and submit talking points to the Cuyahoga County Action Team Google Drive. | Due by January 13th or ongoing for LTE’s and blogs |
| Direct Action | Begin drafting template stakeholder letter for members of the House Criminal Justice and Senate Judiciary Committee Review Ms. Viz’s example here | Due by Jan. 13th |
| Recruitment | Invite 3 new members to the Cuyahoga County Action Team meeting on January 13thReview the campaign 1:1 presentation for guidanceRegister for January’s meeting here | Due by Jan. 13th |
| All | Submit bail reform ‘why’ videoDraft or review testimony Begin drafting stakeholder letters for 2022 | Due by January 31st |
Reminders:
- Office hours are always open every Wednesday between 3:30-5 pm. Zoom rooms are an opportunity to work with other committee members, complete campaign action items, ask questions about bail reform, and generally check-in.
- Draft your bail testimony for 2022. We anticipate an opponent hearing in the Senate in 2022 and a proponent hearing in the House Criminal Justice Committee
- After this week, the legislature will be gone until mid-late January when they will return for the second year of the two-year legislative session. If you haven’t done so already, please begin drafting testimony to submit at the start of the new year* and refer to the template attached for sample language.
- We are still collecting bail reform videos. Remember, social media is an essential part of forming our campaign narrative. We plan to flood these videos to the legislature during critical periods of the committee to showcase the broad, multi-racial coalition of current supporters.
- I’ve attached the best practice worksheet above and the permission form can be accessed by clicking the link.
- Upload your bail video to google drive then send me the link directly. If you’re having technical issues, send the video directly to mmelaku@acluohio.org or (216)262-5474.
- Please take this poll to determine which days we will host a campaign reading group. We’re looking for powerful articles, reports, chapters, etc. So far, we’ve collected PDFs from Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and C.S. Scott-Hayward’s Punishing Poverty: How Bail and Pretrial Detention Fuel Inequalities in the Criminal Justice System.
Our next monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, January 13th at 5pm. Register below:
https://aclu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMudeytpz4oEtOzmKee1KNcr5uE6nLjks4W
As always, if you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to schedule a time on my calendar to meet one-on-one. My calendar is located in my email signature.
In strength and solidarity,
Melekte Melaku Pronouns: she, her, hers
Organizing Strategist
ACLU of Ohiocell: (216) 262-5474 calendly.com/mmelaku