This is truly absurd. Solitary confinement for EIGHT MONTHS due to her gender identity. You guessed it, right here in Dane County! I can’t make it, have meetings for work. You might be in the same situation, but you can still sign the petition!
Read more about her . . .
Lisa is being held on charges of “prostitution.” Sex work should not be criminalized. In Mitchell’s case, if she engaged in sex work, she did so out of poverty as she was homeless at the time of this arrest. Mitchell was initially charged for an altercation that she had with the person who solicited her for this work which has since been dropped because she was not at fault. Lisa would have otherwise been released from jail pending the resolution of these charges, except she was already under supervision by the state’s Community Corrections Division.
While fighting her case, Lisa Mitchell has experienced transphobia at all levels of the criminal punishment system. She has been denied hormone therapy, has been called the wrong name and pronouns, her gender identity has been called deceptive and a disguise, and again, her long sit in solitary is only due to her gender identity. The harassment and criminalization of Lisa Mitchell due to being a Black trans woman must stop.
During the 1-hour per day she is allowed out of her cell, she has been working to get trans health care exclusions removed from Medicaid in Wisconsin. She is a tireless activist for all trans people and she needs our support now.
Rally tomorrow:
This Wednesday, the Young Gifted & Black Coalition will gather in front of the office of the Administrative Law Judge, in Madison WI, to deliver over 400 petition signatures demanding justice for Lisa Mitchell. Lisa is a Black trans woman who has been in solitary confinement for 8 months due to her gender identity. Solitary is torture! She must be released.
By joining together with our partners and community members, we want to put pressure on Madison officials before the next hearing which could come any day. We want them to know that we are watching their attempt to further criminalize Lisa for being a Black trans woman. She must be released from solitary and her revocation dropped!
Please send a message to your friends, family, organizations and co-workers encouraging them to sign on in support of the #FreeLisa campaign.
Details of the rally can be found here!
Thank you for your support!
T Banks, Young Gifted & Black Coalition and Freedom Inc
Z! Haukeness, Groundwork and Operation Welcome Home
