Jeanette Rowsey - District 17 | ACLU West Virginia

Please provide some basic information about yourself.

Name Jeanette Rowsey

Office Sought WV House of Delegates - District 17

City/Town Huntington

Email Address jeanetterowsey@gmail.com

From 1980 to 2016 the West Virginia state prison population has increased by 470%. What, if anything, would you change to reverse this trend?

Reduce average time served for nonviolent offenses, institute evidence based alternatives to incarceration, as recommended in ACLU/Smart Justice Blueprint for WV. We MUST stop using our courts, jails and prisons as the mental health solution of first resort in our state, by fully funding and implementing community based behavioral health services and supports that have been demonstrated to work! We must address racial disparities in policing and sentencing.

Civil asset forfeiture is a process where police can seize any property "related" to criminal activity and later can file a civil case to forfeit the property to either be used or auctioned for money which is shared between the police department and local prosecutor. This can happen regardless of whether there is a criminal conviction or even criminal charges brought against a person.Proponents say this is a useful tool for taking ill-gotten gains from criminals and funding police work, and that legal protections adequately prevent abuse of the system.Critics say the system amounts to theft, that many people cannot afford the legal costs to challenge a forfeiture action, and that it creates a perverse incentive for police.Do you support or oppose the practice of civil asset forfeiture? What, if any, reforms would you make to the practice?

I oppose this practice in general, and see the passage of HB 4717 as a good first step in providing transparency to the current process. I support holding law enforcement agencies accountable for reporting information related to seizures and forfeitures. If courts or other agencies are dependent upon revenue from civil asset forfeitures, as I have heard anecdotally, budgets need to be revisited so these entities are not incentivized to financially shackle West Virginians.

More than half the population of West Virginia's regional jails are pre-trial. That means they haven't been found guilty of any crime yet. Most are there because they could not afford bail, though some are there because they were denied a chance to post bail. What changes, if any would you make to our pretrial and/or bail system to balance concerns about safety and court efficiency with ensuring we are not incarcerating people without due process?

I would support vigilance in seeing that House Bill 2419, intended to reduce the number of people incarcerated pretrial for low-level misdemeanor charges, is implemented faithfully. I would listen to and learn from advocates for racial justice and anti-poverty initiatives inside and outside of the Legislature, as well as law enforcement and court systems to be informed on progress toward reducing pre-trial/post-COVID jailing of pre-trial individuals, and work with my colleagues to address barriers and inequities.

In 2015 West Virginia passed significant reforms to the juvenile justice system. Despite these reforms, the State still utilizes out of home placement at a high rate for system-involved youth. What, if anything, should West Virginia do to reduce out-of-home placements for system-involved juveniles?

Again, the accessibility of services and supports for these young people and their families would do a world of good in addressing the developmental, emotional and behavioral disabilities or disorders that are not being addressed in this population of children and their families involved in multiple systems. Interventions need to start early in childhood at the community and school level. Evidence-based, least-restrictive, individualized, trauma-informed care needs to be funded and implemented in all 55 counties. People in all systems need to be educated on what successful interventions and treatments look like. Congregate care is not treatment!

West Virginia has a very low voter participation rate. What changes, if any, would you make to increase voter participation?

Expand voting by mail. Increase voter education and registration efforts. Repeal restrictive ID laws. Actually implement "motor votor law."

Over the past few years, there has been legislation aimed at requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools, allowing a Bible-based elective, or faith-based drug prevention electives. What is your stance on incorporating religion into the public schools?

As a practicing Christian, I'm also a firm believer in separation of church and state. For one, I have heard of no evidence supporting Biblical drug prevention classes, and it's discriminatory. I have nothing against the study of world religions as an elective class or integrated into history and cultural studies, but without bias in favor of or against any particular religious doctrine. I mainly believe the Legislature generally has no business dictating public school curriculum.

At least 20 states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 13 West Virginia municipalities have similar protections. Do you support or oppose a statewide law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in West Virginia? Why?

I strong support a statewide law prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. The recent Supreme Court decision is to be celebrated, but we need to build upon West Virginia's civil rights protections to be fully inclusive of our LGBTQIA neighbors.

In December 2019, Governor Justice announced that West Virginia would continue accepting refugees. Do you support or oppose accepting refugees in West Virginia? Under what conditions? Why?

I support the Constitutional right to due process and equal protection to refugees, and will fight against any bill or policy that serves to reinforce or "operationalize" racial or religious prejudice or hate. West Virginia has been enriched by its immigrant families. I have been supportive of ACLU's nationwide efforts to protect and fight for refugees and asylum seekers at the southern border, am heartbroken by the treatment we know about, and want our country to be rid of profit-based incarceration of citizens and immigrants alike.

Q10

Over the past few years, some states have continued to erode protections and access to abortion care. Other states have done the opposite and codified abortion rights that had previously been defined by courts. Do you favor further restrictions to abortion, expanding or codifying abortion rights, or taking no action on abortion?

I oppose any further restrictions and barriers to women's rights to the full spectrum of reproductive care and right to privacy, or legislative/court threats to the ability of qualified maternity care doctors and professionals to practice using their expert medical judgement. WV has a shortage of OB-GYN's and we need to add to and not subtract from that population! Before I would take any action on expanding or codifying abortion rights, it would be important to listen carefully to maternity care providers and patients on the need for and potential impact of such policy changes. I would be ready to press for funding and policy that is proven to reduce abortions by preventing unintended, unwanted and underage pregnancies, such as medically accurate, developmentally appropriate sex education and wider access to birth control, including long-acting reversible contraception.