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Consider Establishing Town of Chapel Hill Fund for Criminal Justice Debt.
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Staff:
Department:
Beth Vazquez, Police Crisis Unit
Police Department
Megan Johnson, Police Crisis Unit Supervisor
Chris Blue, Chief of Police & Exec. Dir. for Community Safety
ITEM OVERVIEW
The Town Council requested that staff introduce information for discussion as Council considers establishing a Criminal Justice Debt Relief Fund.
* Court fines and fees have a disparate impact on the poor.
* Town of Chapel Hill receives revenues from court fines and fees.
* Chapel Hill values being a welcoming community with a place for everyone; the imposition of these fines and fees creates significant barriers to justice-involved indigent community members seeking to reintegrate into the community.
* As with last year's support for a DACA assistance program, the Town Council has a proud history of championing social justice issues and using Town funds to help our residents address unfair systems. Because African Americans are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system due to historic and structural racism in the US, this is also a racial equity issue.
* The proposed Fund for Criminal Justice Debt would provide criminal justice-related debt relief to indigent members of the community who are taking steps to successfully reintegrate into the community but whose ability to do so is hampered by this debt.
* The initial request is for $20,000 for a pilot program, to be followed by a report out to Council to assess future funding and structure.
DECISION POINTS
1. Consider establishing Town of Chapel Hill Fund for Criminal Justice Debt.
2. Approve composition and role of members to the Criminal Justice Debt Fund Advisory Committee.
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND
"All across our state, thousands of North Carolinians are jailed every year because they can't afford to pay a fine. Our counties spend more than $1,100 on every person that is jailed for their inability to p...
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