Today involved a multitude of reading, walking/wading through the heat and humidity of downtown Raleigh, and meeting different members of the ACLU’s staff.
When I arrived at the site, I immediately headed to the Legislative Office Building. The usual parking lot was full, so I managed to find a spot about ten blocks away; let’s just say that I didn’t exactly look my best when I finally arrived inside the building. Nonetheless, I found Susanna, a member of the ACLUs staff team, and shadowed her as she scheduled meetings with legislators about a proposed election bill. The ACLU has two problems with this bill:
- It promotes greater use of photo ID
- It will provide a precedent for a highly possible future amendment that will enshrine the photo ID requirement in the North Carolina constitution.
The words “Photo ID” have a positive connotation. Most everyone has a photo ID. It’s common sense, right? Well, unfortunately, minorities and those with an incredibly low socioeconomic status (often minorities) do not own a photo ID. This amendment and bill discreetly disenfranchise marginalized groups of people through vague and obtuse language.
After learning about the nuances of this proposed legislation, Susanna and I separated. She had to see her daughter Lily’s (!!) dance recital, and I headed to lunch. I grabbed a smoothie at Raleigh Raw (overpriced hippie food, but I like to identify as a wannabe-hipster) and drove to the ACLU’s office. There, Sarah assigned me some reading about the next item on the ACLU’s agenda–cash bail reform. To say I was educated would be an understatement. My eyes were pried open with pliers in the most metaphorical way possible.
To put it simply, in my opinion, the for-profit bail system is disgusting. I’ll dive into the details. For-profit bail contributes to what liberals call “mass incarceration” and what conservatives call “over-criminalization.” Basically, it puts way too many people in jail and prison. Cash bail is the system in which a person convicted of a crime has two options: to pay bail or to be jailed. To be or not to be. The idea of bail is to ensure that individuals show up for their court hearings, but a simple text message system has been proven more effective.
Unfortunately, the bail system in place effectively criminalizes those who cannot pay (often blacks and other minorities). They are forced to live in jail–and after two days in jail, one is at risk of losing his/her car, job, child custody, and home. And 70% of those in jail–the definition of jail excluding long-term sentences and prison facilities–have NOT been convicted of a crime. That’s 450,000 people. As a result, many innocent individuals are forced to plead guilty as an alternative to being locked up for an indefinite amount of time. It’s common for those proven innocent to pay bail or bonds in installments for YEARS after their court hearings and have major debt as a result.
Additionally, bond agents use their positions of power to exploit the most vulnerable. Currently, 80 licensed bond agents in North Carolina have been convicted of using their positions to commit crimes–including but not limited to sexual assault and coercion, violence and drug trafficking.
I’m not sure exactly how to transition from a subject as weighty as cash bail, but I’ll try. After I finished my readings, Sarah gave me a tour of the office. I met so many amazing lawyers, communications managers, and interns. It was awe-inspiring to be around such an accomplished population density.
Sarah also updated me on the ACLU’s new campaign strategy to counter the for-profit bail industry. Ambitious, yes. Doable, also yes.
Prisons are economically inefficient and inequitable. The economic side drives fiscal conservatives to invest in reform, and “equity” pretty much drives anything liberal. Not to stereotype.
To summarize, today was incredibly powerful. Definitely a wonderful second adventure.