A black girl will be spending years in jail because she had a mental health crisis. PLEASE READ
Meet Saraya: she was experiencing a mental health crisis. Police came and tackled her. She is 15.
Saraya Rees is a 15 year old biracial girl from Coos County, Oregon. After being abruptly instructed to stop taking her antidepressants by a local pediatrician, Saraya went into psychosis. In her manic state, Saraya poured a small amount of gasoline on the floor. Her parents called Coos Health & Wellness in hope that that would send mental health advisors, Coos Health & Wellness sent the police. While still in psychosis, the officers arrested her, questioned her without her family or lawyers present, charged with attempted murder and assault, and sent her to juvenile prison for 11 years.
1. Call these people and demand that she be let go to the custody in her parents.
Please call Governor Kate Brown and Senator Jeff Merkely.
📞Governor Kate Brown: (503) 378-4582
📞Senator Jeff Merkley: (503) 326-3386
http://chng.it/dPR59dnMzq
Please DO NOT donate to CHANGE.ORG, instead donate to Saraya’s gofundme.
3. Follow @justice4saraya on instagram. You can find info on where to send her encouragement cards and get updated on progress.
4. SEND CARDS TO THE FOLLOWING (please also note card sending rules)
OAK CREEK CORRECTIONAL FACIILITY
EDIT: PLEASE CONSIDER THESE RULES WHEN SENDING HER CARDS! The family has asked for the following when sending cards:
-No vulgar language or cursing (she’s a child, afterall)
- Do not use return address stickers
Using these things could mean Saraya doesn’t get your card. If you want to donate to the family during this very hard time, please use the GOFUND ME.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice4saraya
You can also send her gifts for when she gets out to a PO BOX:
MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A CRIME. LET’S FREE OUR GIRL SARAYA!!!
Saraya’s website: https://www.justice4saraya.com/
UPDATE EDIT: Jan.5.2021: Saraya has written a letter:
I want you to post this on every social media platform that you can. I want you to do so, so that everyone knows how messed up the system is and how messed up the state is.
I don’t care if people know about my “crimes”, and I don’t care if people know I’m in prison. All I care about is letting people know the truth, this for me, and all of the rest of the kids in the system. This is what really, this is the truth….
I am Saraya Rees. I’m 14 years old, and I’m being charged with attempted murder x2. And attempted aggravated assault x1. I was arrested July 8th, 2019. I was in a detention for 3 months and 9 days. I spent my 14th birthday in Juvy. Not only that, but I have been sexually and physically harassed and the staff did nothing to help. I physically hurt myself even though I was on suicide watch.
They allowed the boys to make sexual gestures and comments to all of the females. The staff at my Juvy made fun of people who self harm or attempted suicide. They would do that right in front of the kids who have done that. Out of all the staff there was only one that was respectful. That staff’s name was Tom (thank you Tom for helping me through all this BS).
The reason I’m telling (whoever it may concern) this, is so you know what really happens in the system. But now I’m going to tell you why I’m really stuck in prison. I am being held in prison because I cried for help. People who know me, know I’ve done many things as a call for help. This was all of the biggest, what I did was pour a small amount of gasoline of the floor at my house. I was never going to light it, but the police and the court all said otherwise.
When in comes to the court they don’t care about the fact they care about tearing people and families apart. The kids that they arrest are the kids who are being sexually and physically abused at home, the teen moms, the kids looking for love in the wrong places, places because their families don’t want them, the kids who are hurt, the kids who are suicidal. They arrest the misunderstood and that is not fair.
They arrest kids even if they have never committed the crimes, they arrest kids for no reason sometimes. As citizens of Oregon we need to take a stand, we need to stick up to this injustice. Please help get the kids like me who, without their families have nothing to hold onto. No reason to continue living out of places like this…please. Join our cause at #takeastand4oregon.
-Saraya Rees, 15 (she was 14 when this was written, I believe) (currently serving 11 years for a crime she did not commit)
