Are you jealous of the cute shoes your coworker started wearing to work? Envious of the bottomless cup of coffee that sits on your boss’s desk?
Now’s your chance to have them arrested for being too fabulous or drinking too much coffee.
The Women’s Resource Centre is holding a Jail N Bail fundraiser to raise money for its Safe Haven by “arresting” area men and women for those and other silly crimes.
Centre director Colleen Arnold encourages coworkers, friends and family to cash in on the opportunity to throw someone in the slammer for a good cause.
Recently, the Safe Haven has seen a deficit of more than $10,000, and the Jail N Bail fundraiser is one option the group is turning to to help “keep us afloat” for years to come, Arnold said.
“I’m looking forward to [fundraiser],” said Arnold. “I think it can be a lot of fun and raise funds for the Safe Haven.”
Snitches, as Arnold is calling them, can start calling in their arrests now with the Jail N Bail taking place at the Sport and Leisure Trade Show at the Creighton Sportex from April 23 to 25.
George Fontaine, a talented carpenter and former Flin Flon mayor, has constructed a jail cell that will sit at the Sportex and house the criminals until their bail is posted.
Mock police officers will pick up willing participants from their work, or other locations, and bring them to the Sportex to see a judge who will determine bail on a case-by-case basis.
“People can start sending in arrest forms anytime,” said Arnold. “The sooner, the better, though, so they can start trying to collect bail.”
Offenders will have the opportunity to pre-collect money for their bail, though the judge will determine the dollar amount on the day of their arrest.
Once thrown in jail, the criminals will have the opportunity to make calls to reach their bail amount.
“We really want the arrests to be silly,” said Arnold. “Maybe someone drinks too much coffee, wears too much black, smiles too much – those are all good reasons to be arrested.”
Arnold hopes to raise between $3,000 and $5,000 for the Safe Haven, but with the Jail N Bail a new fundraiser for the facility, she is unsure of what to expect.
A local service group had done a similar fundraiser years ago, but Arnold hopes the involvement of the Safe Haven will help make the event successful.
Protocol
Anyone interested in arresting someone for the Jail N Bail is encouraged to contact the Women’s Resource Centre at 204-681-3105 and fill out an arrest form.
The form must include two choices for times the prisoner will be available, as well as the location at which they can be picked up and, of course, their name.
All participants need to agree to the arrest beforehand.
The forms will also need to include the reason for the arrest. Examples could include a coworker being fashionably late to work, always taking the last cup of coffee and never making a new pot, or leaving the toilet paper roll empty.
Arnold also suggests that those making the arrest should start the fundraising toward bail to get the prisoners out sooner.
