Just City

🎃Get crafty with us on October 15th! Join our 21+ Adult Crafting Fundraiser for an evening of pizza, wine, & DIY Halloween fun. ✨🍕 All proceeds benefit @JustCity901's work in criminal justice reform. Limited "Host" tickets available—don’t miss out! 🎟️ #MemphisEvents #JustCity

Just City is excited to invite you (yes, you!) to a special happy hour next Thursday, August 29th from 4 pm-7 pm at Wiseacre HQ celebrating Ashley Peterson and Yonée Gibson’s three-year work anniversary! You can RSVP for the celebration at the link in our bio. See you there! 🎉

“This shameful legislation targets low-income and marginalized Tennesseans for pointless jail time. We will not allow Tennessee lawmakers to end successful bail reform for political gain.” - Trisha Tigilio, @ACLU Criminal Reform Project

We’re thankful that the CFGM highlighted giving to Just City as an example of Giving as Social Reform, which has been a major trend in philanthropy in the U.S. Read more about this tradition of philanthropy here: wknofm.org/show/greater-g… @CFGMemphis

Fri on Behind the Headlines, Exec Dir @JustCity901 Josh Spickler and TN State Senator District 31 Brent Taylor discuss different criminal justice & public safety perspectives w/@ericbarnes2 Fri 7pm/Sun 8:30am #WKNOChannel10, or now: pbs.org/video/differin…

“We’re getting the letters; we’re getting the calls from the detainees, family members, etc.,” Sugarmon said. “We’re getting them even though you all may not. We’re getting them.” We are too.

Mark Loughney's powerful art highlights the human side of incarceration. Listen to our conversation on The Permanent Record about his transition to freedom and upcoming art exhibit in Memphis. Check it out at justcity.org/podcast

This is a subject many people would rather keep out of sight, out of mind. But everything is connected. Join us! You’ll still have time after in your Friday evening to decompress.

Come out for this powerful film screening and panel discussion tomorrow! REGISTER: justcity.org/film

"About 9.2 % of the adult citizen population (and 21% of Black adults) in Tennessee are barred from voting because of a felony conviction." theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

@ShelbyTNSheriff “We stand in solidarity with you and all of the organizations that have signed onto the letter ... We expect the SCSO to comply with the court order to allow youth in-person visits and to ensure all enrolled youth receive their state mandated education.” dailymemphian.com/section/metros…

It's been 4 years since @ShelbyTNSheriff allowed youth visitation despite being ordered to restart it. 40-50% of kids are barred from school. The fence has a hole in it. Kids can't see their families, go outside, or learn. We may have different goals. wreg.com/news/local/rel…

"The analysis found that declining lead exposure probably accounted for roughly 15% of America’s decline in homicides from 1989 to 2014."

@SenBrentTaylor @DecarcerateMem FACTS: They are not “criminals.” They are innocent people accused of crime. They are being rearrested less now than before the bail hearing room. These bills are only about politics and grandstanding, but we will continue to tell the truth about bail. justcity.org/donate

The “Ability to Pay Calculator” used in the Bail Hearing Room is from the Vera Institute explicitly aims to end money bail according to its website. Decarcerate Memphis @DecarcerateMem and Just City @JustCity901 are also a proponents of ending cash bail and this Bail Hearing Room

*thread* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senator Taylor files legislation targeting reckless policies of Bail Hearing Room that created 10% increase in criminals released with no bond.

We’re not sure what “cashless bail” means, but it is definitely not a thing in Shelby County. Another myth: busted.

Here’s another popular misconception about bail. This one is the basis for an offort by some at the TN General Assembly to amend the state constitution.

There are a lot of MYTHS circulating about bail, so today we're going to address them with FACTS. Do you have your own unanswered questions about bail? Let us know. We’ll do our best to answer them quickly and clearly.

Sen. Brent Taylor continues to spread misinformation. 1. We were going to sue. 2. We had a very strong case and believe we would have won. 3. We did NOT send a demand letter to the DA for Davidson Co. nor did we negotiate a bail system there. This is simply untrue.

@SenBrentTaylor We call it “rearrest data” and not “conviction data” for that very reason. By definition, it DOES include cases that are dismissed. You’re misrepresenting the data. Perhaps because you’ve never accepted multiple offers to discuss it. We remain willing. Our DMs are open.

Decarcerate Memphis and Just City’s bail and re-arrest data don’t include cases that are dismissed (no witness willing to testify to the crime, DA thinks case could be too hard to win, the crime is considered low-level under prosecutorial discretion, and more).

As we work together to Make Memphis Matter, do not be gaslit by Restorative Justice Schemers! Groups like Decarcerate Memphis and Just City attempt to use their “data” to tell us reducing and eliminating bail brings crime and re-arrests DOWN. Figures lie and liars figure.

“These groups are fundamentally changing how our judicial system operates in Shelby County.” We are trying! Because a fair system yields accountability and justice. Investments in children, families, and neighborhoods make us safer. 👇does not. dailymemphian.com/section/metros…