The St. Joseph County sheriff candidates will appear at a forum Thursday evening to discuss their ideas as the Nov. 3 election nears.
The faith-based nonprofit We Make Indiana invites voters to the 6:30 p.m. event at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church on Filmore Road near South Bend. The group says they’ll ask Republican Rod Laureys and Democrat Scott Ruszkowski where they stand on at least three issues: mental health crisis response, jail ministry and immigration.
We Make Indiana member Ian Thompson of South Bend says she wants to hear the candidates talk about those issues. But she also hopes they’ll talk about what she calls the school-to-prison pipeline.
Thompson says that starts in schools where studies have shown students of color receive harsher punishments. She says that discrimination continues in adulthood in the criminal justice system.
Thompson says she understands the sheriff doesn’t sentence people. But …
“We need to hear that they’re concerned about it instead of just dealing with them once they’re in jail," Thompson says. "And when you’re concerned about something and you have power, you have connections to whoever can do something about it. But they need to work together.”
