Want to see what happens when bail agents are not included in a review of a County’s jail?
See the 37th Annual NAPSA Conference Commerical

Go to the PBUS website, www.PBUS.com, click on this link to the: Mecklenburg County (NC) Bail Process Re- Engineering report (you can also copy paste http://www.pbus.com/associations/4643/files/Mecklenburg%20.pdf on your browser). This report and Luminosity’s recommendations are all about growing Pre-Trial Services, in Mecklenburg County and the National Association of Pre-Trial Services Agencies (NAPSA) and nothing about you, our profession and the services you provide at no cost to your counties.

This was discussed at the 2009 PBUS Midyear Meeting. A meeting was held with the National Association of Counties (NACo) onTuesday, August 4th. The meeting was professional and cordial and, as was pointed out, the first time anyone from the bail profession had contacted them and wanted to meet.

An overview of the NACo – PJI Initiative was reviewed . While first presented as a modest study, using leftover funds, to produce a report, it seems that the NACo-PJI plans are the very same plans presented and discussed by us at the PBUS Midyear Meeting. They, NACo-PJI, are presently soliciting requests from each and every county to conduct a free of charge, electronic evaluation of county jails. The due date for receipt of applications is August 14, 2009. The NACo staff member was not prepared to disclose the numbers of applications received to date, nor was he prepared to disclose how many applications that they, NACo-PJI, anticipate receiving nor would he estimate the numbers of ‘electronic evaluations’ they planned to conduct. His only comment was, “not much money is available so we will not be undertaking many evaluations.”

Contrary to his comments it seems that they, NACo – PJI, will solicit as many applications as they can, conduct the same basic electronic evaluation for each county, and based upon their combined histories, both NACo and the PJI, that they will, as a means to reduce jail overcrowding, recommend to each County Commission or funding authority, the integration or expansion of a Pre-Trial program. Right now, NACo points out, that counties are seeing a growing jail population. Governors are seeking to reduce state prison populations by sending inmates back to county jails as police continue to arrest and bring defendants to jails for processing.

On a side note, the NACo staffer pointed out that they understand:

1.69% of the current jail population is awaiting trial.

2.That they, NACo, have never opposed surety bail though they do support ROR and, with the American Bar Association, recognize that money not spent on bail can be used to secure legal counsel.

3.Money bail, surety bonding, discriminates against the poor who cannot afford the bail premiums.

These are their opinions which are contrary to PBUS research, policies and opinions.

During this meeting with NACo, It was proposed a collaborative relationship between PBUS and NACo in much the same way that NACo is partnering with PJI. Our combined interest would be to prepare recommendations intended to relieve jail overcrowding. Where there was acceptance of the offer to form this partnership no timetable for the partnership was developed. We did agree to keep an open communication between PBUS and NACo.

This has the real potential to have a devastating impact on our profession and directly on you. This effort could put you out of business! PBUS has, in concert with Industry Leaders, already begun work on the development of a plan to address this threat.