FreeHer is a people-powered prison abolitionist campaign spearheaded by the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls. The National Council was founded in 2010 by a group of women incarcerated in federal prison in Danbury, CT. Many of whom are mothers, the organization works to end the criminal legal system’s forced separation of women, girls, trans, and gender expansive people from their communities and loved ones through hyper-local organizing, public awareness education, movement lawyering, life affirming programming and the national #FreeHer Campaign. The National Council also organizes globally through its International Network.
Read the full letter directed to the VT state legislature here.
Sign on to the letter using this form.
2. Contact the Essex Planning Commission Members! We have made an email tool so our members and supporters can conveniently message the Essex Planning Commission to urge them to reject the Department of Corrections’ zoning request change. Here is a short link you can share out: the-council.us/essex
3. Support our Canteen Fund! Please sign up to help with our canteen fund which places money on folk’s commissary in Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (the women’s prison). We are looking to secure committed donations so please spread the word and consider signing up here. We also would appreciate it if you can spread around our short link to help with fundraising efforts: the-council.us/vtcanteenfund
4. Join our volunteer base “People Not Prisons”! FreeHer VT needs more help spreading the word and organizing against the prison construction. PNP serves as a working group, training space, and overall infrastructure to hold all the work of FreeHer and create a funnel for new leaders to emerge. Our next PNP meeting will be on Thursday, February 6th at 6pm. Please reach out if you are interested and we will send you the zoom link.
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Jayna Ahsaf (she/her)
VT Campaign Director
The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly
Incarcerated Women and Girls
94 Colchester Ave
Burlington, VT 05401
Together, we can end incarceration of women and girls as we know it today. Become a National Council member today for only $5 per year. #FreeHer