The state of Illinois is currently imprisoning survivors of sexual violence, for actions they took for their own protection. We invite you to join us as we support Cabrini Green Legal Aid and Love & Protect in campaigning for the clemency of two imprisoned survivors: Patrick Johnson and Tewkunzi Green. It is incredibly important to highlight the widespread community support for their release. We ask that you join us in writing letters of support. Please see below for details about upcoming letter writing events at Westside Justice Center, CGLA, and Resilience as well as more information about how you can send letters of support:
Clemency Support Letter-Writing Event
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
6:30PM to 8:3-PM
Westside Justice Center
601 S California Ave. Chicago, IL 60612
Link to Facebook event: //www.facebook.com/events/625420834942324/
Community Letter Writing Event
Saturday, January 11, 2020
10:00AM to 1:30PM
Cabrini Green Legal Aid
6 South Clark St. Chicago, IL 60603
Clemency Support Letter Writing Event for Patrick Johnson and Tewkunzi Green
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
6:00PM to 8:00PM
Resilience Central Office
180 N Michigan Ave. Suite 610
Chicago, IL 60601
Link to Facebook event: //www.facebook.com/events/641537513335327/
*This event will be co-hosted by Resilience and The Network and will include a brief presentation about criminalized survivors.
How to Write a Letter of Support for Patrick Johnson!
Letters of support can help to show the Governor that the general public believes that a commutation is appropriately merciful in this case. Letters of support can be from individuals or from organizations. Letters of support can be from individuals or from organizations. Letters need to be submitted to RachelWhiteDomain@cgla.net before January 20, 2020 when the clemency petitions for these survivors will be filed!
What to include in your letter:
- Address your letter to Governor J. B. Pritzker, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. Open your letter with, “Dear Governor Pritzker.”
- State clearly that you are writing in support of Patrick Johnson’s immediate release, or that your support his commutation to time served.
- If you want, you can briefly share information about yourself such as your profession, if there is something that personally moves you about this case, or if you have personal or professional experience with the issues that Patrick has dealt with in his life.
- In your own words, very briefly explain what you understand about Patrick’s case, so that it is clear that you are familiar with the basic facts of the case. Just briefly!
- Explain why you think Patrick should be released. You can also say if there’s any reason why you feel personally moved by his story.
- Sign your letter and include your address. Your address is included to verify your identity (i.e., that you are a real person), and may also show that you are a potential voter in Illinois.
More tips: It’s okay for the letter to be handwritten, but please write legibly. Letters from the general public are usually kept to one page in length. You can still write a letter even if you do not live in Illinois. More than one person or organization can sign the same letter but please include your addresses. More importantly: Write from the heart, and don’t overthink it!
How to Write a Letter of Support for Tewkunzi Green!
Letters of support can help to show the Governor that the general public believes that a commutation is appropriately merciful in this case. Letters of support can be from individuals or from organizations. Letters need to be submitted to RachelWhiteDomain@cgla.net before January 20, 2020 when the clemency petitions for these survivors will be filed!
What to include in your letter:
- Address your letter to Governor J. B. Pritzker, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. Open your letter with, “Dear Governor Pritzker.”
- State clearly that you are writing in support of Tewkunzi Green’s immediate release, or that you support her commutation to time served.
- If you want, you can briefly share information about yourself such as your profession, if there is something that personally moves you about this case, or if you have personal or professional experience with the issues that Tewkunzi has dealt with in her life.
- If you have been a penpal with Tewkunzi, sharing details about how long you’ve known Tewkunzi and what kind of person you know her to be is especially helpful!
- In your own words, very briefly explain what you understand about Tewkunzi’s case, so that it is clear that you are familiar with the basic facts of the case. Just briefly!
- Explain why you think Tewkunzi should be released. You can also say if there’s any reason why you feel personally moved by her story.
- Sign your letter and include your address. Your address is included to verify your identity (i.e., that you are a real person), and may also show that you are a potential voter in Illinois.
More tips: It’s okay for the letter to be handwritten, but please write legibly. Letters from the general public are usually kept to one page in length. You can still write a letter even if you do not live in Illinois. More than one person or organization can sign the same letter but please include your addresses. Write from the heart, don’t overthink it.
How to Send Your Letter of Support!
Letters received before midnight on January 20th, 2020, can be included in the petition itself. If you can get it here in time, please email it to RachelWhiteDomain@cgla.net or mail it to:
Attorney Rachel White-Domain
Cabrini Green Legal Aid
6 S. Clark St., Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60603
After Monday January 20th, 2020, letters can be mailed directly to Governor J.B. Pritzker at: 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601.
Cabrini Green Legal Aid, CGLA, Events, Letter Writing Event, Love & Protect, Patrick Johnson, Tewkunzi Green