Event Information
Over the past several decades, contact with law enforcement has become increasingly likely to result in arrest and jail booking. This contributes to jail crowding and unnecessary detention, especially for people of color and others historically and systemically excluded from economic investments. Citation in lieu of arrest is a proven alternative that keeps people at home while they’re awaiting their day in court and shifts the way that communities use policing resources.
During this 30-minute conversation, our panel shared practical strategies for implementing citation release policies, while also exploring their potential to alleviate—or exacerbate—racial disparities.
Speakers
Meghan is driven by a passion for building community wellness and dismantling structures of oppression. Over the past 17 years, she has worked on a broad range of national, state and local training and technical assistance initiatives that critically examine and improve the way public systems function—most recently helping local coalitions and jurisdictions develop antiracist solutions for pretrial policies and practices.
Chief Dan House has been a law enforcement officer for over 23 years. He started his career with the Wilson Police Department in Wilson, NC, and eventually left the agency to become Chief of Police with NC State University. He is a team member of The Citation Project at the UNC School of Government Criminal Justice Innovation Lab, and a past president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.
As a former foster youth and child of a formerly incarcerated parent, Shavonte has spent over a decade of her career using her life experiences to support her work in advancing systemic solutions to the distinct challenges and barriers that system-involved youth and their families face. At PJI, Shavonte develops and implements the organization’s change work and curriculum.
Resources
What If: 10 Questions for Sparking Local Pretrial Change
These ten questions — along with a discussion guide and valuable tools and resources — examine the issue by reframing safety and community wellness.