In the September 3, 2016 issue of the Indy Star, a small
article highlighted a serious criminal justice reform effort underway in
Indianapolis spearheaded by INDYCAN, a non-profit focusing on social justice.
The issue of money bail has been in national headlines recently as the Justice
Department seeks a ruling to drastically reform the practice that is seen by
many as discriminatory against minorities and the poor. INDYCAN is advocating
for a change to the money bail system currently in place in Marion County. One
victim of the Marion County money bail system is Doris Hill whose story was
told in the article. Hill was at the Sheriff’s office trying to pay her late
speeding ticket, but Hill instead spent two days in jail over bail before
having her charges dropped.
Unfortunately, Doris Hill is not
the only resident of Indianapolis who has faced jail time over money bail. We
here at Fathers & Families are keenly aware of the negative effects money
bail can have on an individual trying to better themselves and overcome steep
odds. Out of the men we serve, 80% have criminal records and have experience
with the money bail system. The money bail system can cause people to be
detained unnecessarily, and it disproportionately affects people of color and
people who live in poverty-stricken areas. When this happens it can delay, end or
otherwise impede employment. It is also a financial burden on someone who is
most likely already stretched paper-thin. Unnecessary incarceration cause by
money bail can also pose a legal burden on a single father trying to keep up on
child support payments. Without a doubt the worst possible outcome is a delay
in medical treatment that can and has resulted in death while in custody,
oftentimes over very small offences.
This is why at Fathers &
Families we offer wrap-around support for all of our clients to achieve
self-sufficiency and to break the cycles of poverty prevalent in the
communities we serve. By offering job placement we offer a path to financial
security. By having a collaborative relationship with the Child Support
Prosecutor’s office we decrease their chances of child support violations and
ensure uninterrupted support to the child. By offering substance abuse counseling
and classes we lower their chances of being involved in drug use and drug
crimes. By offering individual and family counseling and through our Fatherhood
Development Workshop we help lower instances of domestic abuse and foster healthy
family relations for our clients.
The participants we serve have many
obstacles to overcome; some of these are generational. Money bail is one
generational obstacle that we would like to see ended now. We applaud and
support INDYCAN in their efforts to reform the money bail system. INDYCAN has
partnered with the Indiana Public Defender council, probation officers, and
lawmakers, to bring this issue into the public eye and, perhaps more
importantly, the eyes of the court. The Indiana Supreme Court recently decided
to majorly overhaul the money bail system in Indiana. According to reporting
from WBIW News the reform calls for the “prompt release of arrestees who do not
pose a public safety risk” and are not on probation. Chief Justice Loretta Rush says the reform
“protects presumption of innocence…and reduces recidivism and lowers jail
costs”. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has announced a task force that will
make criminal justice reform proposals. We hope the task force will take this
issue seriously, as implementation of this reform will not take place in Marion
County until 2018, but would positively affect the lives of the people we serve
now.
*If you or
anyone you know could benefit from any of the services outlined above please
contact Fathers & Families at (317) 921-5935 on the web at
fatherresource.org or on facebook.
