What if we ended the injustice of bail? | Robin Steinberg

Prevodilac: Ivana Korom Lektor: Aleksandar Korom

I will never forget the first time I visited a client in jail.

Nikada neću zaboraviti kada sam prvi put posetila klijenta u zatvoru.

The heavy, metal door slammed behind me,

Teška, metalna vrata su se zalupila za mnom

and I heard the key turn in the lock.

i čula sam kako se ključ okreće u bravi.

The cement floor underneath me had a sticky film on it

Cementni pod ispod mene je imao neki lepljivi sloj

that made a ripping sound,

koji je pravio zvuk cepanja,

like tape being pulled off a box,

kao kad se selotejp odlepljuje sa kutije,

every time I moved my foot.

svaki put kada sam pomerala stopala.

The only connection to the outside world was a small window placed too high to see.

Jedina veza sa spoljašnjim svetom bio je mali prozor, previsoko da bi se video.

There was a small, square table bolted to the floor

Tu je bio mali, četvrtasti sto, zašrafljen za pod

and two metal chairs,

i dve metalne stolice,

one on either side.

po jedna sa svake strane.

That was the first time I understood viscerally --

To je bilo prvi put da sam emotivno razumela -

just for a fleeting moment --

samo u tom kratkom trenutku -

what incarceration might feel like.

kakav je osećaj biti zatvoren.

And I promised myself all those years ago as a young, public defender

I obećala sam sebi pre toliko godina kao mladi javni branilac,

that I would never, ever forget that feeling.

da nikada neću zaboraviti taj osećaj.

And I never have.

I nisam.

It inspired me to fight for each and every one of my clients' freedom

On me je inspirisao da se za slobodu svakog mog klijenta

as if it was my own.

borim kao da je u pitanju moja.

Freedom.

Sloboda.

A concept so fundamental to the American psyche

Taj koncept je toliko urezan u američku psihu,

that it is enshrined in our constitution.

da je utkan u naš Ustav.

And yet, America is addicted to imprisonment.

A ipak, Amerika je navučena na zatvaranje.

From slavery through mass incarceration,

Od ropstva do masovnog zatvaranja,

it always has been.

uvek je bila.

Look, we all know the shocking numbers.

Vidite, svi znamo šokantne brojeve.

The United States incarcerates more people per capita

Sjedinjene Države zatvaraju više ljudi po glavi stanovnika

than almost any nation on the planet.

nego skoro bilo koja nacija na planeti.

But what you may not know is that on any given night in America,

Ali možda ne znate da svake noći u Americi

almost half a million people go to sleep in those concrete jail cells

u tim betonskim ćelijama spava skoro pola miliona ljudi

who have not been convicted of anything.

koji nisu osuđeni nizašta.

These mothers and fathers and sons and daughters

Te majke i očevi i sinovi i ćerke

are there for one reason and one reason only:

su tamo samo iz jednog razloga:

they cannot afford to pay the price of their freedom.

ne mogu da priušte da plate cenu svoje slobode.

And that price is called bail.

A ta cena zove se kaucija.

Now, bail was actually created as a form of conditional release.

Kaucija je stvorena kao oblik uslovnog puštanja na slobodu.

The theory was simple:

Teorija je bila jednostavna:

set bail at an amount that somebody could afford to pay --

odrediti kauciju na sumu koju neko može da priušti,

they would pay it --

oni bi je platili,

it would give them an incentive to come back to court;

imali bi motiv da se vrate na sud,

it would give them some skin in the game.

tako bi imali malo udela u svemu tome.

Bail was never intended to be used as punishment.

Nikada nije bila namera da kaucija služi kao kazna

Bail was never intended to hold people in jail cells.

niti da drži ljude u zatvorima.

And bail was never, ever intended to create a two-tier system of justice:

I nikada, nikada nije bila namera da kaucija stvori dvostruki pravni sistem:

one for the rich and one for everybody else.

jedan za bogate i drugi za sve ostale.

But that is precisely what it has done.

Ali upravo to se desilo.

Seventy-five percent of people in American local jails

Sedamdesetpet procenata ljudi je u američkim lokalnim zatvorima

are there because they cannot pay bail.

samo zato što ne mogu da plate kauciju.

People like Ramel.

Ljudi kao što je Ramel.

On a chilly October afternoon,

Jednog hladnog oktobarskog popodneva,

Ramel was riding his bicycle in his South Bronx neighborhood

Ramel je vozio bicikl u svom kraju u Južnom Bronksu

on his way to a market to pick up a quart of milk.

na putu do prodavnice da kupi mleko.

He was stopped by the police.

Zaustavila ga je policija.

And when he demanded to know why he was being stopped,

I kada je zahtevao da mu kažu zašto su ga zaustavili,

an argument ensued, and the next thing he knew,

usledila je rasprava i potom

he was on the ground in handcuffs,

se našao na zemlji sa lisicama na rukama,

being charged with "riding your bicycle on the sidewalk

pod optužbom da je "vozio bicikl na trotoaru

and resisting arrest."

i opirao se hapšenju".

He was taken to court,

Odveden je na sud

where a judge set 500 dollars bail.

gde je sudija odredio kauciju od 500 dolara.

But Ramel -- he didn't have 500 dollars.

Ali Ramel nije imao 500 dolara.

So this 32-year-old father was sent to "The Boat" --

Tako je ovaj 32-godišnji otac poslat na "Brod" -

a floating jail barge that sits on the East River

plutajuću baržu-zatvor koja se nalazi na Ist Riveru

between a sewage plant and a fish market.

između kanalizacionog postrojenja i riblje pijace.

That's right, you heard me.

Tako je, dobro ste čuli.

In New York City, in 2018,

U Njujorku u 2018.

we have a floating prison barge that sits out there

imamo plutajuću baržu-zatvor koja se nalazi tamo

and houses primarily black and brown men

i u njoj se smeštaju uglavnom crni i tamnoputi muškarci

who cannot pay their bail.

koji ne mogu da plate kauciju.

Let's talk for a moment

Hajde da za trenutak govorimo

about what it means to be in jail even for a few days.

o tome šta znači biti u zatvoru, čak i samo nekoliko dana.

Well, it can mean losing your job,

Može da znači da ćete izgubiti posao,

losing your home,

da ćete izgubiti dom,

jeopardizing your immigration status.

da će vam imigrantski status biti ugrožen.

It may even mean losing custody of your children.

Može čak da znači da ćete izgubiti starateljstvo nad svojom decom.

A third of sexual victimization by jail staff

Trećina seksualnih napada koju izvrši zatvorsko osoblje

happens in the first three days in jail,

desi se u roku od prva tri dana u zatvoru,

and almost half of all jail deaths, including suicides,

a skoro polovina svih smrti u zatvoru, uključujući samoubistva,

happen in that first week.

desi se tokom te prve nedelje.

What's more, if you're held in jail on bail,

Štaviše, ako ste u zatvoru na kauciji,

you're four times more likely to get a jail sentence

šanse da dobijete zatvorsku kaznu su četiri puta veće

than if you had been free,

nego da ste slobodni,

and that jail sentence will be three times longer.

a ta kazna će biti tri puta duža.

And if you are black or Latino and cash bail has been set,

A ako ste crnac ili latinoamerikanac i određena vam je kaucija,

you are two times more likely to remain stuck in that jail cell

verovatnoća da ćete ostati u zatvoru je dva puta veća

than if you were white.

nego da ste belac.

Jail in America is a terrifying, dehumanizing and violent experience.

Zatvor u Americi je užasno, dehumanizujuće i nasilno iskustvo.

Now imagine for just one moment that it's you stuck in that jail cell,

Sad na tren zamislite da ste vi u toj zatvorskoj ćeliji

and you don't have the 500 dollars to get out.

i da nemate 500 dolara da izađete.

And someone comes along and offers you a way out.

I pojavi se neko ko vam ponudi izlaz.

"Just plead guilty," they say.

"Samo priznaj krivicu", kaže.

"You can go home back to your job.

"Možeš da se vratiš kući, svom poslu.

Just plead guilty.

Samo priznaj.

You can kiss your kids goodnight tonight."

Možeš večeras da poljubiš decu za laku noć."

So you do what anybody would do in that situation.

I uradite ono što bi bilo ko u toj situaciji uradio.

You plead guilty whether you did it or not.

Priznate krivicu, bez obzira da li ste to uradili.

But now you have a criminal record

Ali sada imate krivični dosije

that's going to follow you for the rest of your life.

koji će vas pratiti tokom celog života.

Jailing people because they don't have enough money to pay bail

Zatvaranje ljudi jer nemaju para da plate kauciju

is one of the most unfair, immoral things we do as a society.

je jedna od najmanje fer i najnemoralnijih stvari koje kao društvo radimo.

But it is also expensive and counterproductive.

Takođe je skupo i kontraproduktivno.

American taxpayers --

Američki poreski obveznici

they spend 14 billion dollars annually holding people in jail cells

troše 14 milijardi dolara godišnje na držanje ljudi u zatvorima,

who haven't been convicted of anything.

ljudi koji nisu osuđeni nizašta.

That's 40 million dollars a day.

To je 40 miliona dolara dnevno.

What's perhaps more confounding is it doesn't make us any safer.

Ono što još više zbunjuje, je da nas to ne čini bezbednijim.

Research is clear that holding somebody in jail

Istraživanja jasno kažu da držanje nekog u zatvoru

makes you significantly more likely to commit a crime when you get out

povećava šansu da on počini zločin kada iz zatvora izađe,

than if you had been free all along.

nego da je bio slobodan sve vreme.

Freedom makes all the difference.

Sloboda je od velikog značaja.

Low-income communities

Siromašne i obojene zajednice

and communities of color have known that for generations.

to znaju već generacijama.

Together, they have pooled their resources to buy their loved ones freedom

Zajedno, one su udružile resurse da otkupe slobodu svojih voljenih

for as long as bondage and jail cells existed.

od kada zatvori postoje.

But the reach of the criminal legal system has grown too enormous,

Ali doseg pravnog sistema je ogroman

and the numbers are just too large.

i brojevi su preveliki.

Ninety-nine percent of jail growth in America has been the result --

Devedesetdevet odsto porasta zatvora u Americi je rezultat -

over the last 20 years --

tokom poslednjih 20 godina -

of pre-trial incarceration.

zatvaranja pre suđenja.

I have been a public defender for over half my life,

Ja sam javni branilac više od polovine svog života

and I have stood by and watched thousands of clients

i stajala sam i gledala hiljade klijenata

as they were dragged into those jail cells

koje su odvlačili u te zatvorske ćelije

because they didn't have enough money to pay bail.

jer nisu imali dovoljno novca da plate kauciju.

I have watched as questions of justice were subsumed by questions of money,

Gledala sam dok su pitanja pravde gažena pitanjima novca,

calling into question the legitimacy of the entire American legal system.

dovodeći u pitanje legitimnost celog američkog pravnog sistema.

I am here to say something simple --

Ovde sam da kažem nešto jednostavno -

something obvious,

nešto očigledno,

but something urgent.

ali nešto hitno.

Freedom makes all the difference,

Sloboda igra veliku ulogu,

and freedom should be free.

i ona bi trebalo da bude besplatna.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

But how are we going to make that happen?

Ali kako ćemo to da omogućimo?

Well, that's the question I was wrestling with over a decade ago

Pa, s tim pitanjem sam se borila pre više od decenije,

when I was sitting at a kitchen table with my husband, David,

kada sam sedela za kuhinjskim stolom sa svojim mužem, Dejvidom,

who is also a public defender.

koji je takođe javni branilac.

We were eating our Chinese takeout and venting about the injustice of it all

Jeli smo dostavljenu kinesku hranu i jadali se o nepravdi svega

when David looked up and said,

kad je Dejvid rekao:

"Why don't we just start a bail fund,

"Zašto ne bismo osnovali fond za kauciju

and just start bailing our clients out of jail?"

i počeli da izvlačimo svoje klijente iz zatvora?"

And in that unexpected moment,

I u tom neočekivanom trenutku,

the idea for the Bronx Freedom Fund was born.

rođena je ideja za Fond slobode Bronksa.

Look, we didn't know what to expect.

Vidite, nismo znali šta da očekujemo.

There were plenty of people that told us we were crazy

Mnog ljudi su nam rekli da smo ludi

and we were going to lose all of the money.

i da ćemo izgubiti sav novac.

People wouldn't come back because they didn't have any stake in it.

Ljudi se neće vratiti jer nemaju interesa.

But what if clients did come back?

Ali šta ako se klijenti vrate?

We knew that bail money comes back at the end of a criminal case,

Znali smo da se novac za kauciju vraća na kraju kriminalnog slučaja,

so it could come back into the fund,

pa bi mogao da se vrati u fond

and we could use it over and over again for more and more bail.

i mogli bismo da ga koristimo iznova i iznova za još kaucija.

That was our big bet,

Na to smo se kladili

and that bet paid off.

i ta se opklada isplatila.

Over the past 10 years,

Tokom poslednjih 10 godina,

we have been paying bails for low-income residents of New York City,

plaćamo kaucije za siromašne stanovnike Njujorka,

and what we have learned has exploded our ideas

i ono što smo naučili, promenilo je naše ideje

of why people come back to court

o tome zašto se ljudi vraćaju na sud

and how the criminal legal system itself is operated.

i kako sam pravni sistem funkcioniše.

Turns out money isn't what makes people come back to court.

Ispostavlja se da se ljudi ne vraćaju na sud zbog novca.

We know this because when the Bronx Freedom Fund pays bail,

Ovo znamo, jer kad Fond slobode Bronksa plati kauciju,

96 percent of clients return for every court appearance,

96 odsto klijenata se vraća na svaki sudski poziv,

laying waste to the myth that it's money that mattered.

i tako opovrgava mit da je novac jedini važan.

It's powerful evidence that we don't need cash

To je moćan dokaz da nam nisu potrebni keš

or ankle bracelets

ili narukvice za članak

or unnecessary systems of surveillance and supervision.

ili nepotrebni sistemi prismotre i nadgledanja.

We simply need court reminders --

Samo su nam potrebni podsetnici za sud -

simple court reminders about when to come back to court.

jednostavni podsetnici - kada se vratiti na sud.

Next, we learned that if you're held in jail on a misdemeanor,

Sledeće što smo saznali je da, ako ste u zatvoru za prekršaj,

90 percent of people will plead guilty.

90 odsto ljudi će priznati krivicu.

But when the fund pays bail,

Ali ako fond plati kauciju,

over half the cases are dismissed.

preko polovine tih slučajeva biva odbačeno.

And in the entire history of the Bronx Freedom Fund,

I u celoj istoriji Fonda slobode Bronksa,

fewer than two percent of our clients have ever received a jail sentence

manje od dva odsto naših klijenata je ikada dobilo zatvorsku kaznu

of any kind.

bilo koje vrste.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Ramel, a week later --

Remel, nedelju dana kasnije -

he was still on the boat, locked in that jail cell.

još uvek je bio na brodu, zaključan u toj zatvorskoj ćeliji.

He was on the cusp of losing everything,

Bio je na ivici da sve izgubi

and he was about to plead guilty,

i zamalo da je priznao krivicu,

and the Bronx Freedom Fund intervened and paid his bail.

kada je Fond slobode Bronksa intervenisao i platio kauciju.

Now, reunited with his daughter,

Sada, ponovo sa svojom ćerkom,

he was able to fight his case from outside.

mogao je da se bori sa slobode.

Look, it took some time --

Vidite, bilo je potrebno neko vreme -

two years, to be exact --

da budem tačna, dve godine -

but at the end of that,

ali na kraju svega,

his case was dismissed in its entirety.

njegov slučaj je u potpunosti odbačen.

For Ramel --

Za Ramela -

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

For Ramel, the Bronx Freedom Fund was a lifeline,

Za Ramela, Fond slobode Bronksa je bio slamka spasa

but for countless other Americans locked in jail cells,

ali za brojne druge Amerikance zaključane u ćelijama

there is no freedom fund coming.

ne postoji fond slobode.

It's time to do something about that.

Vreme je da se uradi nešto po tom pitanju.

It's time to do something big.

Vreme je da se uradi nešto veliko.

It's time to do something bold.

Vreme je da se uradi nešto smelo.

It's time to do something, maybe, audacious?

Vreme je da se uradi nešto, možda, odvažno?

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

We want to take our proven, revolving bail-fund model

Želimo da naš dokazani model obrtnog fonda za kauciju,

that we built in the Bronx

koji smo razvili u Bronksu,

and spread it across America,

proširimo širom Amerike,

attacking the front end of the legal system

napadajući prvu liniju pravnog sistema,

before incarceration begins.

pre nego što zatvaranje počne.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

(Cheers)

(Ovacije)

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Here's the plan.

Evo plana.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

We're going to bail out as many people as we can

Platićemo kauciju za što više ljudi možemo

as quickly as we can.

što brže možemo.

Over the next five years,

Tokom narednih pet godina,

partnering with public defenders and local community organizations,

u partnerstvu sa javnim braniocima i lokalnim organizacijama,

we're going to set up 40 sites in high-need jurisdictions.

osnovaćemo 40 mesta u oblastima sa velikim potrebama.

The goal is to bail out 160,000 people.

Cilj je da platimo kauciju za 160.000 ljudi.

Our strategy leverages the fact

Naša strategija koristi činjenicu

that bail money comes back at the end of a case.

da se novac za kauciju vraća na kraju slučaja.

Data from the Bronx

Podaci iz Bronksa

shows that a dollar can be used two or three times a year,

pokazuju da se jedan dolar može iskoristiti tri puta tokom godine,

creating a massive force multiplier.

stvarajući tako masivno pojačanje sile.

So a dollar donated today can be used to pay bail for up to 15 people

Dolar koji je doniran danas može da se iskoristi da izbavi do 15 ljudi

over the next five years.

u narednih 5 godina.

Our strategy also relies on the experience and the wisdom and the leadership

Naša strategija se takođe oslanja na iskustvo i mudrost i liderstvo

of those who have experienced this injustice firsthand.

onih koji su iskusili ovu nepravdu iz prve ruke.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Each bail project site will be staffed by a team of bail disrupters.

Na svakom mestu za kaucije radiće tim revolucionara kaucija.

These are passionate, dedicated advocates from local communities,

To su strastveni, posvećeni zagovarači iz lokalnih zajednica,

many of whom were formerly incarcerated themselves,

od kojih su mnogi ranije bili zatvoreni,

who will pay bails and support clients

koji će plaćati kaucije i podržavati klijente

while their cases are going through the legal system,

dok njihovi slučajevi prolaze kroz pravni sistem,

providing them with whatever resources and support they may need.

i davaće im svu podršku i resurse koji su im potrebni.

Our first two sites are up and running.

Prva dva mesta su proradila.

One in Tulsa, Oklahoma,

Jedno u Tulsi, u Oklahomi,

and one in St. Louis, Missouri.

drugo u Snt Luisu, u Mizuriju.

And Ramel?

A Ramel?

He's training right now to be a bail disrupter in Queens County, New York.

On je trenutno na obuci da bude revolucionar za kaucije u Kvinsu, Njujork.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Our next three sites are ready to launch

Naša naredna tri mesta su spremna za otvaranje

in Dallas, Detroit and Louisville, Kentucky.

u Dalasu, Detroitu i Luivilu, Kentaki.

The Bail Project will attack the money bail system

Projekat Kaucija će napasti novčani sistem kaucije

on an unprecedented scale.

u do sada neviđenoj razmeri.

We will also listen, collect and elevate

Takođe ćemo slušati, skupljati, promovisati

and honor the stories of our clients

i poštovati priče svojih klijenata

so that we can change hearts and minds,

kako bismo promenili srca i umove

and we will collect critical, national data

i skupljaćemo važne, nacionalne podatke

that we need so we can chart a better path forward

koji su nam potrebni da bismo napravili bolji plan za dalje

so that we do not recreate this system of oppression in just another form.

da ne bismo rekreirali sistem opresije u nekom drugom obliku.

The Bail Project,

Projekat Kaucija,

by bailing out 160,000 people over the next five years,

oslobađenjem 160.000 ljudi u narednih pet godina,

will become one of the largest non-governmental decarcerations

postaće jedna od najvećih nevladinih akcija puštanja iz zatvora

of Americans in history.

Amerikanaca u istoriji.

So look --

Dakle, vidite -

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

the criminal legal system, as it exists --

kriminalni pravni sistem, kakav jeste -

it needs to be dismantled.

mora da se menja.

But here's the thing I know from decades in the system:

Ali evo šta znam posle decenija u sistemu:

real, systemic change takes time,

prava, sistemska promena zahteva vreme

and it takes a variety of strategies.

i raznovrsne strategije.

So it's going to take all of us.

I potrebni smo svi mi.

It's going to take the civil rights litigators,

Potrebni su advokati za građanska prava,

the community organizers, the academics, the media, the philanthropists,

vođe zajednica, akademici, mediji, filantropi,

the students, the singers, the poets,

studenti, muzičari, pesnici

and, of course, the voices and efforts of those who are impacted by this system.

i naravno, glasovi i napori onih na koje je ovaj sistem uticao.

But here's what I also know:

Ali evo šta još znam:

together, I believe we can end mass incarceration.

zajedno, verujem da možemo zaustaviti masovno zatvaranje.

But one last thing:

Ali još nešto:

those people, sitting in America, in those jail cells,

ti ljudi, koji u Americi sede u zatvorima,

in every corner of the country,

u svakom kutku zemlje,

who are held in jail on bail bondage, right now --

koji su u zatvorima zbog kaucije, sada -

they need a lifeline today.

njima je potrebna slamka spasa danas.

That's where The Bail Project comes in.

Tu nastupa Projekat Kaucija.

We have a proven model, a plan of action,

Imamo dokazani model, plan akcije,

and a growing network of bail disrupters

rastuću mrežu revolucionara

who are audacious enough to dream big and fight hard,

koji su dovoljno odvažni da sanjaju velike snove i bore se snažno,

one bail at a time, for as long it takes,

jednu po jednu kauciju, koliko god je potrebno,

until true freedom and equal justice are a reality in America.

dok istinska sloboda i jednaka pravda ne postanu stvarnost u Americi.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)