Buncombe County – Weaverville resident Ryan Houston shot a deputy last year. Yet, he was out on bond when he allegedly killed his girlfriend Malerie Crisp, assaulted a McDowell County man and stole his truck, then took another car, crashing it into newly retired Mars Hill Chief of Police Mike Boone, resulting in Boone’s death. Boone was a 32-year veteran of law enforcement, and Houston also lost his life in the incident.
Many are questioning how Houston was released on bond after being charged with the attempted murder of a deputy. Questions arise such as: Was his bond reduced? Did District Attorney Todd Williams, known for his leniency toward criminals, play a role? Who posted the bond? Who was the judge that allowed this man back into society?
These are all valid questions, but this report aims to address only one: Did the county’s multi-million dollar grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation contribute to Houston’s release?
A county webpage under Justice Services states, “In 2023, Buncombe County was awarded a two-year $1.1 million grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of the Safety + Justice Challenge, a national initiative that aims to reduce over-incarceration and eliminate racial inequities in local criminal justice systems.”
The page continues, “Buncombe County joined the Challenge Network in 2018 when it received an initial award of $1.75 million, followed by a second award of $1.75 million in 2021. This latest grant brings the total investment from The MacArthur Foundation to $4.6 million in Buncombe County. The Challenge Network comprises fifty-seven participating cities, counties, and states reimagining and rebuilding local justice systems.”
For context, the website notes, “By 2018, Buncombe County’s jail population had reached historically high levels, despite significant diversion efforts by the county and its partners. Data indicated that the percentage of women in jail would rise so significantly that by 2020, the jail would be over capacity.”
The webpage explains, “The main drivers of the jail population were pretrial detainees and length of stay.” In other words, inmates like Ryan Houston were awaiting trial for attempted murder. “Between 2015 and 2018, the pretrial population grew nearly 15%, from just over 300 to 350 individuals awaiting trial.”
It further states, “Detention disrupts people’s lives and negatively impacts families and communities. It leads to higher re-arrest rates and produces worse case outcomes, including future episodes of incarceration.” In Houston’s case, the lack of detention resulted in at least three fatalities, including his own, and adversely affected families and communities.
While the grant’s goal is to create a more equitable justice system—given that incarceration has disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color—it appears that statistics from the website indicate it has benefited white detainees more than any other racial group.
According to the informational dashboard on the page, the baseline for measuring the program’s effectiveness began with a daily average of 100 Black individuals in jail compared to 281 white individuals. By year seven of the program, the daily average of incarcerated Black individuals increased to 114, peaking at 126 in year five. During the same period, year seven recorded an average of only 268 white individuals per day, with a high of 318 in year one. According to the county’s website, the only racial group to significantly benefit from the program intended to assist “other people of color” were whites.
Christina Esmay, Public Information Officer for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, was asked whether Sheriff Quinten Miller attended any of Ryan Houston’s bond hearings and, if not, why not. Esmay responded, “Sheriff Miller does not generally attend bond hearings.” Apparently, that even applies to those where someone shot one of his deputies.
We also inquired whether Houston might have benefited from the MacArthur grant. “The Safety + Justice Challenge (MacArthur grant money) does not provide funding for Pretrial Services or Electronic Monitoring, so the short answer to your question is no,” stated Lillian Govus, Communication and Public Engagement Director for Buncombe County.
However, the link Govus provided leads to a webpage stating that pretrial release is part of the Safety and Justice Challenge program and mentions that “the county continues to enhance strategies for pretrial release, including pursuing diversion options, especially for individuals with substance use disorders; introducing a structured risk assessment to inform magistrates’ pretrial release decisions.” It concludes with the program “focusing on safely releasing individuals charged with non-violent offenses.”
Nevertheless, the grant does not address making communities safer from criminals, and now several families must endure the tragedies left in Houston’s wake.