National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Supports the Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017

[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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