5:30 PM — 7:30 PM
New Orleans BioInnovation Center (Main Conference Room)
People arrested and charged with crimes in New Orleans face financial penalties in the form of bail, fines, and fees. The courts, district attorney, public defender, and other criminal justice agencies all benefit from the revenue generated by these fines and fees. This might seem like a good way to fund the criminal justice system while reducing taxpayer cost. But what happens when people can’t pay?
Inspired in part by the U.S. Department of Justice’s findings in Ferguson, Missouri, the Vera Institute of Justice—led by its New Orleans office—analyzed data from municipal and criminal district court records for the year 2015. The findings reveal troubling and pervasive policies and practices that bankrupt poor, mostly black New Orleanians at great expense to local taxpayers. Join us for a release of the Vera Institute’s report, and hear from local and national criminal justice reform advocates. Learn how you can join the efforts to reshape this user-funded justice system and ensure a safer community for all New Orleanians.
Light refreshments will be provided.