Louisville council member Jecorey Arthur wants to devote some of his districts neighborhood development funds to help bail out people with low bonds from Metro Corrections.
In a video posted to Facebook on Monday night, Arthur said the move is in response to the six deaths that have occurred at Metro Corrections since November.
Its a win-win situation, he said. Because we free them, we save money, we alleviate the Corrections staff and hopefully we prevent deaths. Because no one should have to pay for a misdemeanor with their life.
To free inmates, Arthur plans to send $10,000 to a local bail charity to help people who are in jail on low-risk bonds. Hell have to pass an ordinance to do so, which he has yet to file.
Neighborhood development funds, the money Arthur intends to use, are allocated to each Metro Council district to be spent on community improvements.
Arthur, who represents District 4, says he is also working on other legislation to decrease the number of people incarcerated at Metro Corrections.
The latest inmate death occurred on Sunday morning. Its the third this year.
Mayor Greg Fischer held a press conference on Sunday, saying that the city has responded to the deaths by raising salaries for Corrections officers and enhancing medical and mental health care. In the past five months, he said, the jails population has been reduced to 1,450 from 1,665.
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This article appears in February 2, 2022.