Last weekend the Circle City (IN) Chapter of The Links Incorporated and IUPUI hosted a screening and panel discussion about “13th” by Ana DuVernay. The film is an interesting look at the intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States. It’s titled after the Thirteenth Amendment, which freed slaves and prohibited slavery (unless as punishment for a crime). During the three-hour event, some of the thoughts from those in attendance included:
“When we get people out of jail, then we must provide something for them to do. Put money into programming.”
“We must de-incarcerate. We must stop the school-to-prison pipeline.”
“We need to find ways to keep people from going to jail.”
“We must have more laws on the books like ban the box that Councilor Vop Osili introduced to our city.”
Hearing these thoughts got my wheels turning and forced me to take a hard pause and focus on the next big task before the Council — criminal justice reform. Yes, we are going to address criminal justice reform in our community and implement solutions that extend beyond prison walls. This conversation is long overdue, and it’s time we roll up our sleeves and get about the business of addressing this problem without reservation.
Over the next several months, the Council will be tasked with constructing a new criminal justice campus including an innovative assessment and intervention center in partnership with Marion County Health and Hospital Corporation. The goal? To create a process that is committed to investing in mental health and addiction services, as well as other social services. A partnership of this kind will allow us to get to the root cause of why a person is incarcerated rather than focusing on the actions that led to their arrest.
I mean, think about it; the numbers don’t lie. We know that 30 percent of inmates within our community suffer from some form of mental illness, and 85 percent of our inmates suffer from substance abuse or addiction. The time has come for us to create and implement a criminal justice reform plan that changes the culture of how we view and manage criminal justice and public safety within our city. It’s about more than just building a new facility.
I am pleased about our plans for creating a pre-arrest diversion toolbox for IMPD officers, social service providers and our criminal justice facilities to keep nonviolent individuals suffering from mental health and addiction issues out of our jails and engaged with available resources.The Reuben Engagement Center, championed by Chairman Leroy Robinson, is an example of a pre-arrest diversion resource we wish to expand throughout the community.
Criminal justice reform is no simple task, and the Council will need to hear from every stakeholder in our community. When I say stakeholder, I’m not talking about the obvious stakeholders like law enforcement and elected officials. I’m talking about the folks who have friends/family members who are currently or have previously been incarcerated, religious leaders and folks who live near law enforcement facilities. Simply put, I’m talking about you.
On a more personal note, the social service provider side in me wants to hear from mental health, substance abuse and housing providers, teachers and IndyGo public transportation providers. We want to hear from everyone involved in providing services for families who have been impacted by our current criminal justice system. If you provide a service that can help keep someone from falling victim to becoming incarcerated for all the wrong reasons, we need you to speak up.
Just like pre-K and the recent IndyGo referendum, there will be plenty of opportunities for public testimony. Just follow me on Facebook and Twitter for meeting dates and times. My goal, along with all those involved in working to reform our justice system, is to increase transparency and accountability and use that credibility to build relationships between the community, the criminal justice partners and, most importantly, you!
Be enlightened, be engaged and stay encouraged!
Blessings!
Maggie A. Lewis is president of the Indianapolis City-County Council.
