CCBC ARP Funds Call-in Campaign

SAMPLE SCRIPTS:

“Hello, my name is _________________. I’m a constituent in your district and am calling to ask that you vote “no” on the proposal to spend American Rescue Plan funds on the Champaign County Satellite Jail. Those funds are intended for facilities negatively affected by the pandemic. The local jail does not meet that criterion, and jails in general are proven sites of deadly COVID spread. Investing recovery money in the Champaign County Jail misallocates funds that should be used to improve social services that support our community’s health and safety.”

If they tell you that they don’t have any other services to dedicate the funds to, tell them:

"I urge you to invest the COVID funds into social services that have been shown to truly promote community safety and well-being. These include housing, job opportunities, mental and physical health care in the community, and evidence-based, human centered violence prevention initiatives."

Why Are We Doing This?

On Thursday (11/18), the Champaign County Board will be voting to dedicate $5 million in American Rescue Plan funds toward the Champaign County Satellite Jail.

The allocation of coronavirus recovery funds to the jail would come at a time when the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act will have drastically reduced the jail population and rendered changes to the facility unnecessary.

Further, this expenditure would provide COVID relief to a facility whose finances have not been negatively impacted by the pandemic. In the spirit of the American Rescue Plan Act, this money should instead be distributed to community-based social services that support Champaign County's health and safety.

In addition to calling your County Board members, you can also attend the County Board meeting this Thursday, 6:30 PM at the Brookens Center (1776 E Washington St, Urbana) and voice your opposition during the meeting’s public comments section.

Your district’s County Board members’ contact info is below. To find your district, please see these links:

http://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyBoard/cbmembers.php

https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/county-board/board-members-district-maps

COUNTY BOARD MEMBER CONTACT INFO

District 1

Jacob Paul

Office Phone: (217)351-7653

Email: 217jpaul@gmail.com

Jim Goss

Phone: 217-202-6557

Email: jegoss64@gmail.com

District 2