Rep. Garnet Coleman unveiled his long-awaited "Sandra Bland Act" ( HB 2702 ) yesterday at a press convention outdoors the Texas Su...
Rep. Garnet Coleman unveiled his long-awaited "Sandra Bland Act" (HB 2702) yesterday at a press convention outdoors the Texas Supreme Courtroom constructing. (I might tweeted out a few photos of the event for Just Liberty.) See a summary of the bill's contents and preliminary MSM protection:
Between this laws and Rep. Senfronia Thompson's HB 2044, the 2 most important police accountability proposals within the 21st century have been advised this session.
MORE: It ought to most likely be talked about that the "Sandra Bland Act" contains reforms which do not derive particularly from her story. For instance, reported the Texas Tribune, "Substance abuse could be added to the record of therapy providers eligible for Division of State Well being Providers grant cash that already helps private and non-private sector efforts to deal with homelessness and psychological sickness regionally." However Sandra Bland wasn't intoxicated and did not want drug therapy.
Equally, "Counties could be required to develop a plan for a way native psychological well being authorities, legislation enforcement teams and different neighborhood organizations will work with folks experiencing homelessness, psychological well being crises and/or substance abuse." However there isn't any proof Sandra Bland was mentally in poor health and her family and friends say it is not true.
And whereas Grits wholeheartedly agrees that police ought to "make a 'good-faith effort' to divert folks to therapy — as an alternative of arresting them — if they're experiencing a psychological disaster or substance abuse," that is not what was happening when Sandra Bland was arrested. There additionally wasn't any mental-health remedy she was alleged to be taking that she did not get, although beneath the invoice, counties should "guarantee inmates proceed to obtain remedy they might be taking in the event that they weren't in jail."
I help all these items, however they do not have something to do with why Sandra Bland was arrested, incarcerated, or died in jail. It is not why her story has grow to be a nationwide touchstone, informed and retold numerous occasions each IRL and on-line, nor why activists insist folks #SayHerName.
Different components of the invoice are extra immediately on level with Bland's story. Eliminating arrests for non-jailable offenses would have prevented the episode from ever launching within the first place; if that have been the legislation, she'd have completed her cigarette, been given a ticket, and gone on her manner, grumpy however alive.
This to me is the guts of what makes this the "Sandra Bland" Act, and it is a difficulty other bills have addressed as properly. The rationale Bland's title is understood is the roadside video of her and Trooper Brian Encina. And what folks noticed on the video was a state trooper who anticipated Bland to defer and kowtow to his each whim, a girl in no temper to take crap from him, and an arrest made to punish her insolence greater than to guard the general public. That such an boastful abuse of energy resulted in her dying is the crux of why Sandra Bland's title and picture have grow to be worldwide icons.
Different elements of the invoice additionally draw immediately from her story. The presumption that nonviolent misdemeanor defendants will obtain private bonds except a Justice of the Peace finds "good trigger" for detention would have seemingly ensured she did not spend the weekend in jail for need of $500. Necessities for deescalation coaching are on level, as is creation of a "County Inmate Security Fund to assist fund reforms for county jails which have inmate populations of 96 or fewer."
Grits strongly helps Coleman's invoice, which incorporates many components that critically want to alter. But it surely's not all about Sandra Bland. Certainly, it by no means was.
MORE: It ought to most likely be talked about that the "Sandra Bland Act" contains reforms which do not derive particularly from her story. For instance, reported the Texas Tribune, "Substance abuse could be added to the record of therapy providers eligible for Division of State Well being Providers grant cash that already helps private and non-private sector efforts to deal with homelessness and psychological sickness regionally." However Sandra Bland wasn't intoxicated and did not want drug therapy.
Equally, "Counties could be required to develop a plan for a way native psychological well being authorities, legislation enforcement teams and different neighborhood organizations will work with folks experiencing homelessness, psychological well being crises and/or substance abuse." However there isn't any proof Sandra Bland was mentally in poor health and her family and friends say it is not true.
And whereas Grits wholeheartedly agrees that police ought to "make a 'good-faith effort' to divert folks to therapy — as an alternative of arresting them — if they're experiencing a psychological disaster or substance abuse," that is not what was happening when Sandra Bland was arrested. There additionally wasn't any mental-health remedy she was alleged to be taking that she did not get, although beneath the invoice, counties should "guarantee inmates proceed to obtain remedy they might be taking in the event that they weren't in jail."
I help all these items, however they do not have something to do with why Sandra Bland was arrested, incarcerated, or died in jail. It is not why her story has grow to be a nationwide touchstone, informed and retold numerous occasions each IRL and on-line, nor why activists insist folks #SayHerName.
Different components of the invoice are extra immediately on level with Bland's story. Eliminating arrests for non-jailable offenses would have prevented the episode from ever launching within the first place; if that have been the legislation, she'd have completed her cigarette, been given a ticket, and gone on her manner, grumpy however alive.
This to me is the guts of what makes this the "Sandra Bland" Act, and it is a difficulty other bills have addressed as properly. The rationale Bland's title is understood is the roadside video of her and Trooper Brian Encina. And what folks noticed on the video was a state trooper who anticipated Bland to defer and kowtow to his each whim, a girl in no temper to take crap from him, and an arrest made to punish her insolence greater than to guard the general public. That such an boastful abuse of energy resulted in her dying is the crux of why Sandra Bland's title and picture have grow to be worldwide icons.
Different elements of the invoice additionally draw immediately from her story. The presumption that nonviolent misdemeanor defendants will obtain private bonds except a Justice of the Peace finds "good trigger" for detention would have seemingly ensured she did not spend the weekend in jail for need of $500. Necessities for deescalation coaching are on level, as is creation of a "County Inmate Security Fund to assist fund reforms for county jails which have inmate populations of 96 or fewer."
Grits strongly helps Coleman's invoice, which incorporates many components that critically want to alter. But it surely's not all about Sandra Bland. Certainly, it by no means was.
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