CONTACT: Esmie Tseng, ACLU of Kansas, [email protected]
WHAT:
The ACLU of Kansas will host a Justice Summit to highlight the systemic injustice of the money bail system and disseminate key findings from its recent report, The Price of Freedom: Bail in Sedgwick County. The summit will provide attendees an opportunity to understand the real-life consequences for families and communities.
An afternoon press conference will roll-out a coalition letter calling on Sedgwick County District Attorney to issue an internal office memorandum requiring that the District Attorney's office seek an Own Recognizance (OR) Bond for all defendants charged with nonperson misdemeanor and felony charges. Where aggravating factors exist that rebut the presumption of release on an OR bond, the District Attorney's office should recommend a cash bail amount that is reasonably tailored to the individual's ability to pay and individual circumstances.
The letter has been signed by, to date, at least ten local and statewide organizations, including Safe Streets Wichita, Kansas Appleseed, and the Kansas Black Leadership Center.
WHY:
Pretrial detention can have devastating consequences and should be used only when necessary. But in Kansas, many individuals sit in jail because they do not have enough money to afford cash bail. Kansas’s system of money bail subverts the presumption of innocence to which criminal defendants are entitled and causes harm to individuals, their families, and entire communities.
The widespread use of money bail results in the routine pre-trial incarceration of people who have not yet been convicted of a crime and who are simply detained because they cannot afford to pay for their release. The racial and gender disparities in Sedgwick County’s bail system are extreme even by standards of the American justice system.
Pretrial detention worsens outcomes in the criminal legal system by making it more difficult to meet with a lawyer and by coercing some defendants to plead guilty. Data suggests it leads to harsher sentences, higher chances of conviction, and even an increased risk of future criminal charges. Several studies suggest that money bail does not increase the arrested person’s likelihood of showing up to court.
Additionally, while judges are expected to play a role in bond determinations and to consider factors such as flight risk, community safety, and the defendant’s financial and other circumstances, the report finds a disconnect between judicial policy and practice—bond amounts are frequently applied uniformly, without individualized assessment.
WHEN:
Tuesday, September 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Press conference at 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Marriott Wichita - 9100 E Corporate Hills Dr.; Wichita, KS 67207
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About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.
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