OUR VISION

WE SEEK TO REMOVE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN
FROM OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

As children, we learn the Pledge of Allegiance. The words “with liberty and justice for all” become ingrained in our psyches as the most basic rights afforded to those of us in the United States. Unfortunately, the reality is that liberty and justice are not available to all, but more often to those who can pay.

Using research-based tools to inform policy, CALEB’s Criminal Justice Task Force envisions a just society where due process is a right and money is not a barrier to freedom.

THE PROBLEM

TENNESSEE'S INCARCERATION RATE IS
10% ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE

In 2020, half of those incarcerated in the state were held pending trial while still presumed innocent by the court system. In Hamilton County, that number was 63%. People risk losing their jobs and housing. They are separated from their families and sit in jail simply because they can't pay to get out.

If the incarcerated person is an immigrant, local cooperation with ICE results in holds and federal immigration bonds of up to $15,000, bail that is almost impossible to make. All of this disproportionately hurts the poor, people of color, and immigrants, and it further destabilizes communities.

"IT'S CLEAR WE CANNOT INCARCERATE OUR WAY OUT OF THE ISSUES FACING TENNESSEE'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM..."
-- Tony Parker, Commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Corrections, 2019

WE NEED A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT FOLLOWS THESE CORE VALUES:

LIBERTY
IS THE NORM PENDING PRETRIAL

We want pretrial freedom for accused individuals to be the norm without restrictions such as ankle-monitors or unrelated drug testing. Limits to pretrial liberty should only be used when absolutely necessary to ensure court appearance or to protect the safety of the community.

JUSTICE FOR ALL
WITHOUT PROFIT OR EXCESSIVE FEES

We want community support and engagement, rather than pretrial supervision and incarceration. As it stands, pretrial supervision costs are paid by the accused, and even minor infractions increase the likelihood of technical violations and negative case outcomes, setting people up to fail

DECARCERATION
IS THE ANSWER TO MASS INCARCERATION

An overreliance on jailing means higher costs for taxpayers, inhumane overcrowding, irresponsible outsourcing, and a court process that reflects unequal justice based on wealth. Decarceration through pretrial reform, ending ICE cooperation agreements, and using citations in lieu of arrests are ways we can make smarter decisions that reduce community harm.

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