[Engaged] Bail funds - please consider donating

[testingwithfire]

Good day all,

For those who can donate cash, several U.S. states have bail funds for those who are awaiting criminal trials.

Why is this important? The U.S. incarcerates an astonishing number of people, mostly people of color, many for minor/nonviolent crimes. Those people often can't afford bail and are stuck behind bars, sometimes for months or years, until their trial. As a result, the presumption of their innocence by a jury can be affected adversely. The only difference between these people and those who go home on bail is a matter of what is a small sum of money to wealthier people.

So if you donate regularly, even a small sum a month can go a long way toward allowing these people to go home and await their trial. By donating you are working directly against the injustice of the carceral state, and decreasing the suffering of those who would otherwise be stuck behind bars indefinitely.

Here's a good primer from the Bail Project (Bronx, NYC) on why donating to bail funds helps people.

Here's my favorite bail fund.

Gassho,

Amy

SAT-lah

[Cooperix]

Amy,

Excellent! I was just listening to a piece on NPR about the inequities of our judicial system here in the US. Got money -you can cover bail and hire a classy attorney, no money, out of luck. No bail and a court appointed attorney (who might be fabulous or might not!)

Never thought about non profits that help those who are most desperate. SO thank you for posting.

gassho,
Anne

~st~

[Jakuden]

Thank you Amy! Who knew this was a thing! One of the reading assignments for ZMM's Ango a couple of years ago was "The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander. I highly recommend it, it is very eye opening whether one "agrees" with everything it says or not. Incarcerating the poor can be seen as another form of slavery,as once they are there, even for a minor infraction, they often quickly lose the rest of their lives--starting with their jobs and their children--and then have no hope of ever regaining them.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH