10/22/2026
DISMAS HOUSE OF INDIANA OPPOSES PUBLIC QUESTION 1
At Dismas, our work is grounded in a commitment to stronger families and safer communities. We believe public policy should be measured by those outcomes, too.
That’s why we oppose Indiana’s Public Question 1, which would expand the circumstances under which someone can be denied bail and incarcerated before being convicted of a crime.
Our primary concern is the assumption that more incarceration creates safer communities.
There are circumstances in which detention is necessary to protect others from immediate harm. But keeping someone from causing harm while they are incarcerated is not the same as reducing the likelihood of future harm.
Research on pretrial detention has not demonstrated that broader incarceration produces lasting reductions in crime. It has, however, documented consequences for employment, economic stability, and families.
Those consequences matter. When someone loses their job, housing, treatment, or family connections while awaiting trial, the impact extends well beyond that individual. And the instability created by incarceration can make the work of building a stable life substantially harder.
We also cannot ignore how frequently our criminal legal system responds to substance use disorders and mental health crises with punishment rather than appropriate care. Incarceration cannot substitute for treatment, and expanding detention does nothing to address the gaps in our behavioral health systems.
Indiana courts already have mechanisms to supervise individuals awaiting trial, including house arrest, electronic monitoring, no-contact orders, and other conditions of release. Our county jails are already overcrowded, and expanding pretrial detention risks further straining those resources.
We are also troubled by the amendment’s broad language. It is not limited to violent offenses, and it expands judicial discretion in a system where significant disparities already exist. Implicit bias influences human decision-making, including within our courts. Those realities deserve serious consideration before expanding the government’s authority to deny someone their freedom.
But ultimately, our position comes back to what we know about building safer communities.
At Dismas, we recognize that we have all caused harm and experienced harm. We support people in building lives they are proud of, with meaningful relationships, stable housing, employment, and a place in their community.
We see the difference those things make, not only for individuals, but for their families and the people around them.
We cannot measure public safety solely by how effectively we remove people from our communities. We must also consider what happens when they return.
If we want to reduce future harm, we need policies that address the conditions contributing to it. That requires investments in prevention, treatment, housing, and community support, alongside appropriate measures to address immediate threats.
We have not seen evidence that expanding pretrial incarceration through this constitutional amendment will deliver those outcomes.
Dismas House of Indiana does not support Public Question 1.
We encourage Hoosiers to read the proposed amendment, understand its implications, and make an informed decision on November 3.
Read more about Public Question 1, including the proposed constitutional amendment and ballot language, here:
Oops! The page you're looking for does not exist. Try using the search bar above to find what you're looking for, or return to the homepage. Below, learn more about Ballotpedia, find out what's on your ballot with our Sample Ballot Lookup Tool, or get in touch.
