On Wednesday, June 6, NLADA hosted members of the Players Coalition in an unprecedented meeting to discuss bail reform. Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long and Rodney McLeod met with NLADA and the American Council of Chief Defenders (ACCD) to share insights about national and local efforts to end the nation’s money bail system.
The 90 minute discussion centered around finding possible solutions that address the fact that the bail system in the United States historically keeps poor people in jail pretrial, and provides a vehicle to freedom for only those who can afford to pay for their release prior to having their day in court. While the focus was bail reform, other issues included mass incarceration and racial bias against communities of color.
NLADA, the ACCD and the Players Coalition are now working on the most effective strategy to make the best use of everyone's efforts, expertise and influence to bring about real change.
Jenkins, one of the co-founders of the Players Coalition, also made brief remarks at NLADA's Community-Oriented Defense reception immediately following the meeting. He spoke about the Coalition's successful efforts in Boston and elsewhere and reiterated his and other players' support for the work that defenders and criminal justice reform advocates do every day.
ESPN published an article detailing the discussion. Read the article on ESPN's blog.
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