FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County officials endorsed the idea Thursday that no one should be incarcerated solely because they can't afford the cost of bail or bond, despite one justice of the peace calling the idea "discrimination at its highest."
The Quorum Court voted 13-1 in favor of a resolution prepared by Stan Adelman, recently hired as an ombudsman to work to reduce crowding in the county's jail. The resolution encouraged criminal justice agencies in the county "to adopt the principle no person should be detained in the Washington County Detention Center awaiting trial solely because of their inability to obtain pre-trial release through traditional bail/bond."
Ann Harbison, justice of the peace for District 14 in southern Washington County, said the county typically has 350 to 400 detainees awaiting trial in the jail. The county has calculated the daily cost of holding a prisoner at $63, so housing 400 detainees costs the county about $25,000 a day, Harbison said.
"Probably 90 percent of them could bond out," Harbison said.
Lisa Ecke, justice of the peace for District 6 in Springdale, cast the lone dissenting vote against the resolution. Ecke said the idea was "nonsensical."
"If you're poor and you commit a crime, you should have to serve the sentence for that crime," Ecke said.
Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9 in Fayetteville, said the detainees being considered were only pretrial detainees, not those convicted of any crime.
"One of the fundamental principles of our justice system is innocent until proven guilty," Madison said. "These are pretrial detainees, people who have been arrested but not convicted. The only reason they're stuck down there pretrial is because they can't pay."
Suki Highers, justice of the peace for District 11 in Fayetteville, said keeping people in jail costs the county and costs society when those people lose their jobs, lose their homes or lose their families.
"Cash bail discriminates against poor people," Highers said.
Prosecutor Matt Durrett said the resolution may have been poorly worded. He said he wants to see "reasonable" bail amounts set so people who have committed serious crimes or whose history suggests they may be a danger to society can be held.
Having lower bond amounts for less serious offenses, allowing those people to obtain their release, is something he supports, Durrett said.
Metro on 08/19/2019