The creation of this tracking system aims to prevent sexual assault kit backlogs. Supporters said this is a significant step in the fight for justice for victims of sexual assault. The program will allow survivors to track the status of their kit as it moves through the criminal justice system.
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photo by: Meeting screenshot/Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Douglas Court courts data shows Hispanic inmates received higher bond amounts than other groups for municipal offenses between 2016 and 2020. Data Analyst Matt Cravens shared the data with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council during a meeting on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
Data from Douglas County’s district and municipal courts shows some racial disparities in the setting of bond amounts, but what causes them is not yet clear, a county official said Tuesday.
During a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting, Data Analyst Matt Cravens showed several data sets related to cash and cash or surety bond amounts for racial groups between 2016 and 2020, including adjusted data showing Hispanic inmates receiving higher bond amounts in municipal court cases compared with other groups. Cravens said the adjusted data accounted for controlled variables, such as age, gender and number of alleged offenses, among others.
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
The Hays County Commissioners voted to submit a grant application for a holistic public defense program after a year of deliberation, planning and many more years of campaigning by local advocates.
The county will be submitting a grant for $1,085,325 by May 7 to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) for the Hays County Holistic Public Defense Office (PDO) and Managed Assigned Counsel (MAC) Program.
“I’d like to thank the many people that have worked hard on this grant application and bringing us to the point we are at today,” said Debbie Ingalsbe, county commissioner and chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee. “This is important to so many people, and the compassion many people have regarding this. I’d like to recognize Neighborhood Defender Services of Texas, I really appreciate working with you all. The holistic program that y all bring to the table really has intrigued me, providing many services that so many individuals w
photo by: Meeting screenshot/Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Defense attorney Sam Allison-Natale is seen speaking to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council about his nonprofit, Kansas Holistic Defenders, during a virtual meeting in February 2021.
Sam Allison-Natale wants to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
As a child of two public defense attorneys, he knew when he went to law school at New York University that he wanted to be one too.
“This is in my blood,” said Allison-Natale, a criminal defense attorney who previously served as a public defender in New York City for the nonprofit organization The Bronx Defenders.
Now in Lawrence, Allison-Natale is hoping to continue on the public defender path as he offers a potential alternative to the way that Douglas County currently handles criminal cases for people who cannot afford attorneys.