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The Better Family Life group implemented an Amnesty Project in St. Louis 3 years ago that gives people with warrants for arrest over misdemeanor offenses a chance to go to court and face their charges without the fear of being arrested every time they step out in public.
What is the Amnesty Project?
In a nutshell, the project removes the warrant while the offender still has to go to court to face the original charges.
To participate, people with misdemeanor offenses need to show up at one of the Amnesty Project events. After standing in a long line (yesterday’s event had about 1000 people in line before the event even opened), they pay a $5 processing fee and watch a short seminar. They are given a certificate which they take to the court which issued the warrant and pay $100 to the court. They are then given a new court date in which they will need to face their original charges in front of the court.
For the last 2 years, only people with warrants for misdemeanor traffic offenses were eligible for the program. This year, the program is opened up to all offenses, including minor drug charges.
Proponents of the program say that it brings in income for the cities and clears up the long list of people with warrants for minor offenses so the police can focus on more important safety issues. It also gives people with warrants a chance to correct their old mistake. Allowing them to remove the warrant takes away an obstacle to finding employment and housing.
Last year 10,000 people took advantage of the event and received vouchers to take to court. Yesterday, even with the blistering heat, thousands showed up at Ivory Park at Delmar & Belt in North St. Louis.
Another event is scheduled TODAY at Connect Care located at Delmar & DeBaliviere from 9 am – 3 pm.
Take a look at the Fox 2 News report and video for more information.
University City Needs to Join the Amnesty Project
While 37 police districts in the St. Louis metro area have signed on to the project, University City is not one of them.
St. Louis City and County are both participating. It’s time that University City signed on too.
I’m not sure why a police department would opt out of this program. Offenders still have to face the court for their original crimes, the city gets to refocus their energy on major offenses and preventing new crime, and the city gets to raise additional money ($100 per warrant) in addition to whatever fines they decide to charge the offenders when they go to court.
What do you think of the Amnesty Project?
If you don’t like the idea of the project, let us know why. If I’m missing a reason that this is a bad idea, I’d like to hear about it.
And if you agree with me that our police department should focus on more important issues than going after people with warrants for missing a court date over a minor offense, please share your opinion too!
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