Pregnancy testing. Advice on healthy eating. Postpartum care. These are some of the services that Tennessee jails and prisons are now required to offer the state’s growing population of female inmates. That’s thanks to a new bill (SB 1839/HB 1651), passed by the legislature last week.
Nashville Has Reduced Its Jail Population By 15% In The Past Month. Will It Last After Coronavirus?
Nearly 200 people have been freed from Nashville’s jails since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state last month. The sheriff, public defender and district attorney are racing the clock to get as many people out as they can before COVID-19 starts spreading behind bars. And the virus has forced officials to think […]
Nashville’s Criminal Justice Agencies Struggle To Get On The Same Page About Coronavirus
As the coronavirus continues to spread through Tennessee, one group is particularly vulnerable: people in jail. Many suffer underlying health conditions. Plus, they’re locked into tight quarters, often without regular access to soap or hand sanitizer. Law enforcement officials are now grappling with how to balance public safety and public health.
Nashville Activists Renew Push To End Money Bail
Many people arrested in Davidson County are not in the room when a judge sets their bail. That’s according a report released last week by a group of Nashville activists who want the city to change the way it jails people before trial.
Mother’s Day ‘Bail Out’ Seeks To Reunite Low-Income Families Divided By Arrests
Listen Some activists say Nashville’s new pre-trial release program, which aims to increase the number of low-income defendants released without having to pay bail, is not doing enough to keep poor people from waiting behind bars. They’re responding by organizing a “bail out” this weekend, part of a national campaign to get black moms home […]
undefinedMetro’s “Jail Fees” May Be Ending For Defendants Who Can’t Afford To Bond Out Before Trialundefined
undefined Listen Getting arrested anywhere is expensive. Defendants often have to deal with court costs, legal fees, restitution and fines. In Nashville, it can be even costlier. But that could change today, after Metro Council members vote to do away with the city’s “jail fee” for misdemeanor arrests — the $44 billed to defendants for […]
Nashville’s Prosecutor and Public Defender Don’t See Eye To Eye On Cash Bail Policies
Listen The city’s top prosecutor and top public defender don’t agree on what bail reform might look like in Nashville. The two legal officials presented their views at a public forum this week. Money bail has been a recurring topic for proponents of criminal justice reform who say it keeps poor citizens in jail longer […]