Bail Reform in Hawaii: ACLU wants to end Money Bail

The ACLU of Hawai‘i Foundation invites the public to “#EndMoneyBail for a Better Hawai‘i and a Better Nation” – a panel discussion focused on bail reform on Thursday, September 29th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Arts at Marks Garage in downtown Honolulu. The event will also be streamed live and remote audience questions taken over Facebook Live.

The panel will include experts addressing the scope and framework for ending money bail as well as recent developments in bail reform around the nation. The panelists include:

·       Senior Staff Attorney Twyla Carter, National ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project;

·       Professor Seth Stoughton, University of South Carolina School of Law; and

·       Kirsha K. Durante, State of Hawai‘i Deputy Public Defender.

·       Mateo Caballero, ACLU of Hawai‘i Legal Director, will moderate.

Legal Director Mateo Caballero said: “The ACLU’s national Smart Justice Campaign seeks to cut the rate of incarceration in half while also addressing racial inequalities in the criminal justice system. The ACLU of Hawai‘i is starting our local campaign by pushing for reforms to our bail system. Almost half the people in our local, overcrowded jails are “pretrial detainees” who have not been convicted of the crime for which they are held.

They are only in jail because they cannot afford cash bail. In the meantime, those who can afford it–even if accused of the same crime–are set free. This is unfair, unconstitutional, and harms public safety. We are honored to host this panel of experts to help shed light on these issues.”

The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP at http://endmoneybail.eventbrite.com or by calling (808) 522-5904. Arts at Marks Garage is ADA-accessible.

The mission of the Hawai‘i affiliate of the ACLU is to protect the civil liberties contained in the state and federal constitutions through litigation, legislative and public education programs statewide. The ACLU is funded primarily through private donations and offers its services at no cost to the public. The ACLU does not accept any government funds.