Innocent Until Proven Guilty.
Let’s Keep It That Way.
Protect Hoosiers, our communities, and our freedoms.
What is Public Question 1?
This November, Indiana voters will decide whether to permanently amend Article 1, Section 17 of the Indiana Constitution. Right now, the state constitution guarantees the right to bail before trial for anyone accused of a crime, with narrow exceptions for murder and treason.
Public Question 1 would expand government power to deny bail before trial for lower-level offenses whenever a judge determines someone might pose a future risk and the state presents clear and convincing evidence.
This shifts our legal standard away from the presumption of innocence toward a system of presumed guilt.
Protecting
Hoosier
Families
In America’s legal system, everyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But Public Question 1 allows the state to lock Hoosiers up behind bars before they have ever had their day in court or been convicted
Who can afford to miss work or lose a job while fighting a criminal case?
When Hoosiers are held without bail, they risk losing their jobs, their housing, and their ability to parent their children. Expanding pretrial detention tears families apart and overcrowds local jails, all before a trial has even taken place.
Protecting Indiana's Constitution
Our state constitution is a foundational document that protects individual liberties and keeps government power in check.
Constitutional changes should be reserved for rare, extraordinary circumstances that cannot be addressed through ordinary legislation. Bail procedures and public safety laws can already be adjusted through state statutes without rewriting the Indiana Constitution.
This amendment is written in a broad way that gives too much power to judges and politicians. We shouldn’t weaken the fundamental pretrial protections in our constitution.
Investing In Real Public Safety Solutions
Real public safety doesn't come from expanded pretrial detention or building more jail cells.
Real safety comes from investing in the core building blocks that help communities thrive: quality public schools, affordable housing, mental health care, addiction treatment, and good-paying jobs.
Rather than permanently changing our constitution to jail more people before trial, Indiana should focus on solutions that strengthen families and make neighborhoods safe.