Statement made by President Diane Davis June 21, 2007
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Hello Commissioners,

I am Diane Davis, president of the league of women voters of the piedmont triad.

 

“The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that

encourages informed and active participation in government,

works to increase understanding of major public policy issues

 and influences public policy through education and advocacy.”

The local chapter of the league of  women voters is an all-volunteer group. We have no paid staff. We encourage all members of the community over 18 to join our group and help us educate ourselves and the public about policy issues. We Invite and welcome everyone to attend meetings, workshops, and other programs that we hold throughout the year. For more information please check our web site at lwvpt.org.

 

Thank you for allowing us time to expand on the reasons for our position on the Guilford County Jails and Alternatives to Incarceration Study.

The study that has taken over two years and is still continuing is called

LOCK THEM IN OR HELP THEM OUT:

A LOCAL STUDY OF INCARCERATION AND ITS ALTERNATIVES

 

Tonight I would like to address two questions about the Guilford County Jails.

What is a Jail? AND  Who is in Jail?

 

I have heard people say that our jail should not be like a luxury hotel. Well I can tell you after visiting several jails that our jail is far from a nice place to be, even for a visit.

Some people say that these people have committed crimes, they should be locked up. Well, that’s not totally true. Our jail is a holding facility for those accused of crimes. About 80 percent of people currently in our jail have not been convicted of the crime of which they have been accused. They are awaiting trial.

Most in jail are awaiting trial for felonies. Most misdemeanor offenders are not incarcerated. They are released and expected to show up for their trial. Many do not and according to law, if they are picked up for failure to show, their bond is set at $500. Bond companies get a percentage of the money they put up to guarantee that accused people will show up for their trials.

Now, if a person has already missed one or more trial dates, it’s not a very good business decision to put up their bond. So, many of these people are in jail because they either cannot or will not pay and cannot find anyone who trusts them enough to bail them out after they have already missed at least one court date.

Some say that they forgot their trial date or thought their lawyer would let them know or other excuses.  I know that when I make an on-site appointment with a dentist or doctor or lawyer or even a real estate salesperson, I usually get a small card with the date and a number to call if I won’t be there. Would it be too much to ask the clerk to give each defendant a reminder card?

Some incarcerated people are waiting to be transported to a state or federal facility and some have been convicted but are being held for another trial on another charge.

Around half of the people in jail have already tried an alternative to incarceration and have failed.

Some people in jail have mental problems and substance abuse problems. With recent cuts in already inadequate funding for mental illness, where do we send these people? We don’t even have facilities to separate them from the general population in our jail. Can we just let them out to hurt themselves or others?

We visited detention centers in Greensboro, High Point, Gibsonville, as well as the Guilford County juvenile detention center. We studied the Kimme Report, which was commissioned by Guilford County. We visited jails in nearby counties and gathered information from many sources. We compared these facilities. We interviewed law enforcement officers, inmates, judges, public defenders, prosecutors and other community people who have information about jails and alternatives to jail time. We gathered information about alternative programs in the area and visited several of them. We studied reports from other areas and compared results of treatment facilities.

We can’t solve all of the problems by building a new jail, but it is a start.

 

My friends, Guilford County needs better jail facilities. This is not a partisan issue. It is not a racial issue. It is not a budget issue. It is a safety issue, a health issue, and a community problem that can be improved. We as citizens should demand immediate efforts to improve our jail system, our alternatives to jail options and our court facilities and staffing. And, you, as County Commissioners should lead the way.