Prairie Province Prisoner Support Fund

*****THIS FUNDRAISER HAS ENDED*********- Thank you for your support




SUPPORT PRISONERS ACROSS THE PRAIRIES DURING COVID-19 Incarcerated people are at a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19. Unsanitary conditions, close quarters, frequent physical contact, and the underlying chronic health conditions of many detained people, contributes to the spread of the virus and threatens the well being of prisoners and public health. Alongside incarcerated people, communities across the country are calling for the depopulation of federal and provincial prisons to protect the safety and wellbeing of prisoners and our communities. Many provinces and territories across Canada have started taking measures to depopulate their jails and prisons safely. However, prisoners that are released do not have adequate support for their transition.  Recently released prisoners need access to funds for housing, food, clothing, and physical and mental health supports. Families who still have loved ones behind bars need funds for expensive phone bills and canteens. This fundraiser supports prisoners in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba re-entering the community and those that are still behind bars during this crisis.  NOTE* We are no longer accepting applications, as we have used all of the funds we have generated. We will open up the applications again once we have been able to generate more funds. IMPORTANT NOTE This fund is created based on a shared community trust system. We want to reduce the barriers that invasive questions pose to accessing support while being accountable and transparent to our community. To that end, funds will be released on a first-come-first-served basis. We want to honour this commitment by trusting that those who have the means will seek out those means, and leave this fund to be accessed by those of us who have little to no choice.  This fund is limited. Using community donations, we will continue to hand out funds for as long as we can. We recognize that this, too, will not be sufficient to bridge the deep gaps that this crisis has caused.  To preserve each other's privacy and dignity, we will never publish the names or details of the recipients.  WHO ORGANIZED THIS FUNDRAISER We are Free Lands Free Peoples, a new anti-colonial, Indigenous-led penal abolition group based out of Edmonton, Alberta. We are organizing this fundraiser with the support of like-minded individuals and organizations across the prairies and beyond. While we are an Indigenous-led and -focused group, the Prairie Prisoner Support Fund is open to all -- Native and non-Native -- prisoners and their families.  This fundraiser is inspired by the crucial abolition work taking place around the world, and in particular the prisoner fundraiser in Ontario organized by the Prison Abolition Organizing Group, whom we thank for letting us use and modify the text and format of their fundraiser. To donate to support recently released and/or still incarcerated people in Ontario, or to apply for funds in Ontario, please see this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/prisoner-emergency-support-fund?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email_m_pd-5311-donation-receipt-wp-v5&utm_content=internal For additional information or questions please contact [email redacted] We can also accept direct email transfers to this email address. Thank you for your support.