Audit Shows Marion Co. Jail Holding People Long After Posting Bail

Barbara Brosher

An internal audit from earlier this month shows Marion County isnâ€™t releasing some people facing charges until up to 46 hours after theyâ€™ve posted bail.
*Ryan Delaney/WFYI-File*

An internal audit from earlier this month shows Marion County isn’t releasing some people facing charges until up to 46 hours after they’ve posted bail.

The report includes a list of people who posted bail and how long it took for the county to release them after doing so. On average, people waited 18 hours to be released. Indianapolis City-County Councilman Jeff Miller is facing three counts of child molestation and experienced the shortest wait time by far. The county released him 1.5 hours after he posted a $10,000 surety bond.

Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defender Council Larry Landis says he’s long heard about the long wait times from other attorneys, so he’s not surprised by the audit’s findings.

“The differential between one, a person of stature can get released and a regular citizen gets released, should be offensive to everyone,” Landis says.

One woman included in the audit posted bail at 2:46 p.m. on Nov. 17 but wasn’t released until nearly two days later, at 11:09 a.m. on Nov. 19.

A spokesperson for the Marion County Sheriff’s Department did not return multiple requests for an interview.

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