To Marc Bennett re: Pretrial Detention

On October 10th, 2025, a coalition of advocate organizations including the ACLU of Kansas sent a letter to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett concerning pretrial detention. This practice, which should be used only when neccessary, has become the default, subverting the presumption of innoncence at the heart of our criminal legal system and creating a two-tiered system where those who have money can buy their freedom, while those who cannot are left in jail—and often face life-altering consequences as a result. This letter asked DA Bennett to use his discretion to reduce the number of people detained pretrial to help reduce the harm of our broken bail system.