WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Compassion was a recurring theme in a community conversation held Monday night on reforming Monroe County’s criminal justice system. The community conversation was held at Unionville Elementary School, and hosted by the Monroe County Human Rights Commission.
In an email to WFHB, County Attorney Margie Rice said officials hope to change the criminal justice system to positively reflect the community values. She said county officials hope to “improve outcomes for justice-served individuals, perhaps reduce recidivism, and handle criminal justice-related matters efficiently…and in the most human-centric, compassionate manner.”
Some community members shared their stories of being thrown in jail or otherwise penalized for small probation infractions. One man said he was thrown in jail after being unable to comply with regular drug testing requirements due to a shy bladder. He said he sought a doctor’s help after being routinely asked to urinate in front of people for the drug test, but to no avail. He proposed alternative forms of drug testing.
A community member said she had observed a harsh attitude from criminal justice officials toward small infractions. She asked that they develop a more helpful attitude. Another woman, who has a daughter who is incarcerated, was dismayed at the cost of basic hygiene and healthcare. She also said availability and cost of hygiene products needed to be addressed immediately. She said she felt hammered with the fees charged by multiple vendors for hygiene supplies, food, telephone calls, and medical care.
Some community members also asked for more training, or retraining, for jail staff, public defenders, and even judges. Accountability, and restorative justice between victim and offender, were also topics of concern. One community member suggested looking beyond the United States for models for improvement. His comments drew some affirmative nods from other participants.
The Monroe County Commissioners approved hiring two consultants to help with the criminal justice review at a cost of more than 200 thousand dollars. Rice said she anticipates a report from the consultants in January of 2020.
