7:45am. A call from a random number. Pick up. The mom of a teen I represent.
Her voice soft. “Hi Scott. When will he be seen today?”
He’s still in jail. On bail she can’t yet afford.
“10am. But they won’t bring him up. You won’t see him.”
“It’s okay,” she says.
It’s not.
Her voice soft. “Hi Scott. When will he be seen today?”
He’s still in jail. On bail she can’t yet afford.
“10am. But they won’t bring him up. You won’t see him.”
“It’s okay,” she says.
It’s not.
8 hours later: GOOD NEWS. *Just* heard prosecution is consenting to his release. He'll be home tonight. Thank goodness. Family is elated.
He had been jailed bc of bail on Rikers for 4 days. The amount of pain & anguish from a single day in jail cannot be overstated. Not just for this young man. But for his family & extended family. They were all destroyed. Someone with means would never have to go through this.
NY just ended cash bail for most misdemeanors & non-violent felonies. But prosecutors & police are engaged in a coordinated scare campaign. Trying to roll back these changes. But as the NYT called it, it's a "Sad Last Gasp Against Criminal Justice Reform." nytimes.com/2019/11/17/opi…
Unfortunately, that "sad last gasp" looks to be working. The public, w/ little information, are buying into the fear. The same kind that got us into this mess of mass incarceration in first place. We need to have patience for change. Trust that alternatives to jail work better.
It’s official. He’s home. I’m so grateful.
