[Alexandria, VA] The National
Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, (NOBLE) fully
acknowledges the need for criminal justice reform and fully supports the
Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017.
Fairness and equality have long been staples of the criminal
justice system denied to those of minority backgrounds. The money bail
system only exacerbates this reality. Through federal intervention and
state incentivization, the Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017
aims to change this tragic fact.
Money bond systems create unnecessarily high pretrial (and
post-adjudication) incarceration rates that weigh down justice system
budgets. According to the US Department of Justice, taxpayers spend
approximately $38 million per day to jail people who are awaiting trial
(63% of the total jail population, or more than 450,000 individuals on
any given day). Annually, this $14 billion is used to detain people who
are mostly low risk, including many whose charges will ultimately be
dropped.
"The nature of our criminal justice system has created an
echo chamber of mistrust among minority communities of everyone from law
enforcement officials to lawyers and judges. The egregious bail system
has for far too long deepened the prison pipeline for minorities
irrespective to the lack of a conviction. There are thousands of Black
and Brown children and young adults across this country who will and
have spent significant amounts of time in prison simply due to the lack
of their family's ability to post bail. This is simply unacceptable"-
stated NOBLE Immediate Past President, Perry Tarrant.
As an organization that realizes its ability to shape
national dialogue and debate as well as bridge the gap between law
enforcement, the criminal justice system and the communities we serve,
NOBLE is a proud supporter of this legislation. The Pretrial Integrity
and Safety Act of 2017 is a much-needed step in lessening the pace of
the prison industrial complex and restoring faith in a system of justice
that many minorities feel is anything but.
The Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017 is a bipartisan
bill introduced by Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Rand Paul (R-KY).
The bill authorizes a $10 million grant over a three-year period to
incentivize and encourage states to end the practice of money bail. This
bill focuses largely on evidence-based practices imposing the least
restrictive non-financial conditions in providing for presumption of
release.
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About the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
Since 1976, The
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) has
served as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to
justice by action. NOBLE represents over 3,000 members internationally,
who are primarily African-American chief executive officers of law
enforcement agencies at federal, state, county and municipal levels,
other law enforcement administrators, and criminal justice
practitioners. For more information, visit http://www.noblenational.org.
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