1. If elected or re-elected to the city council, will you propose programs and/or initiatives to limit the number ofarrests for minor offenses in the city?
Smith:
Yes. As an educator, professional counselor, and long time advocate for criminal justice reform, I have witnessed firsthand the debilitating impact and adverse effects minor law infractions have upon individuals, communities, and society as a whole. This is especially the case when such offenses require cash bail, as opposed to release under personal recognizance.
I would propose and support ordinances and public resolutions that both eliminate and minimize the harsh penalties associated with minor law offenses. This includes, yet is not limited to decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana and significantly reducing costs associated with the cash bail systems and associated procedures. As the 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law, innocence should be presumed, until proven otherwise.
2. If elected or re-elected to the city council, will you support a pre-booking diversion program for drug-related offenses and for those suffering from mental health issues? YES / NO Please elaborate.
Smith:
Having worked in the mental health and substance abuse treatment professions for over 20 years, I have seen the positive outcomes that pre-booking diversion and similar behavioral interventions programs have on individuals and communities. Substance abuse and mental health conditions are matters of public health. Although, each may impact public safety in some manner, those individuals that have been identified as having a mental health and/or substance abuse diagnosis should be referred to treatment.
As a former member of the Shelby County Juvenile Justice Consortium (CJJC) and current member of the Tennessee Community Resource Board (TCRB), I have been a strong advocate for both criminal justice reform and mental health treatment. My advocacy has also included the improvement of pretrial intervention (PTI), drug courts, and similar behavioral health diversion
3. If elected or re-elected to the city council, will you support a policy to require transparency and democratic accountability before city agencies acquire new surveillance tools?
Smith:
4. If elected or re-elected to the city council will you work to make stop and arrest data, including race and ethnicity data, available to the public quarterly?
Smith:
5. If elected or re-elected to the city council what will you do to ensure a timely, transparent and independent investigation whenever an officer uses deadly force?
Smith:
If elected to Memphis City Council I will establish the following:
1. Propose an ordinance which supports timely, transparent, and independent investigations
during instances where deadly force applies.
2. I will actively support the citizens law enforcement review board (CLERB)
3. I will also support counseling and other health related programs for local law enforcement.
6. Name 3 steps you would take as a council member to make the Community Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) more effective.
Smith:
1. Include either monthly or bi-monthly formal appearances of the citizens law enforcement
review board (CLERB) before the Memphis City Council.
2. Ensure a permanent "line item status report" of CLERB is placed on the Council's Business
Agenda.
3. Ensure that members of the CLERB receive both comprehensive and evidence-based
training as it pertains to law enforcement administration and in the trends in police misconduct
7. Would you support policies, programs or initiatives to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline?
Smith:
My current policy platform calls for the placement of behavioral counselors, social workers, and other trained interventionists at city-wide community centers. To fund this initiative, I'd recommend using confiscated drug money and/or crime related property seizures to fund these full-time employees (FTEE's), and/or pursue supplemental funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (DOE), and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs (OJJDP).
Additionally, I strongly recommend training school officials on trauma-informed approaches and the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACES). This includes, minimizing extensive school suspensions for mental and behavioral health conditions and referring children and families for counseling, while publicly advocating for treatment and mental health care, as opposed to juvenile detention.
8. What does criminal justice reform mean to you?
Smith:
When examining criminal justice reform, the following principles come to mind:
1. Removing sentencing disparities between powder and crack/cocaine.
2. Establish and promote more diversion and treatment for "nonviolent" drug offenses
3. Decriminalize marijuana
4. Dismantle the "cash bail" system
5. Eliminate the use of public funds for private penal institutions (both juvenile and adult)
