The Bail Project

Most people assume that judges rely on a thorough presentation of evidence to make pretrial decisions. But in bail hearings, that’s often not the case. “Most of the time, no evidence is introduced at all. You hear from the prosecutor and the defense, but they are not presenting documentation or calling witnesses.” Former appellate judge Pierre Bergeron tells all about how the bail system really works – and how it can improved. https://lnkd.in/dW6XP6Jk

The incarceration rate for Native Americans is 38% higher than the national average, and cash bail fuels this divide. This disparity reflects a long history of forced confinement of Native American people – from reservations and boarding schools to today’s jails. True justice for Indigenous people means ending policies that continue cycles of unnecessary incarceration. Join us at bailproject.org. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #EndCashBail

With every bailout, we prevent hundreds of days of incarceration for our clients. That adds up to 1,382,808 days of incarceration prevented to date. Join us at bailproject.org.

Women are the fastest growing incarcerated population in the U.S. – and many are unable to afford cash bail. The median *annual* income for a woman who can’t afford bail is $11,000, but the average bail amount for a felony is $10,000. Everyone deserves access to equal justice. Learn more at bailproject.org.

Your presumption of innocence is at risk. At The Bail Project, we’re fighting to protect it, one bailout and one policy at a time. Learn more at bailproject.org.

Although jails were never meant to be mental health facilities, they’ve now become the largest “mental health providers” in the country. People struggling with mental illness do not belong in jail cells – they belong in safe environments built to support their recovery. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gzFTWBAd.

At The Bail Project, we show up every day for people who would otherwise be left to navigate the pretrial system alone. Whether they can’t afford cash bail, need a ride to court, or need connections to services in their community. Learn more and join us at bailproject.org.

Sandra and her three children, ages 3, 5, and 7, were living out of a single room in a duplex when she was arrested and taken to jail. Her bail was set at $150,000 – far more than the amount of her annual income of $21,000. Unable to afford this exorbitant amount, she sat in jail for months before ever going to trial. While waiting in limbo, she first lost her job. Then, her car. And then, she fell into thousands of dollars of credit card debt. But most terrifying of all was that she was inches away from losing custody of all three of her children. With The Bail Project’s help, Sandra was released after two months and found not guilty on all charges. And her case was completely dismissed. Read Sandra’s full story at bailproject.org.

Shelly was struggling to buy food when she was forced into an act of desperation. What happened next landed her in pretrial detention, threatening to send her into deeper instability. Read Shelly’s full story at bailproject.org.

Mental illness is not a crime, yet people with mental illness are overrepresented in U.S. jails. More than 40% of people in local jails report a history of mental illness, compared to just 3–6% of the general population. There are safer, cheaper, and more humane alternatives for mental health care than locking people up. And our new explainer outlines a better path forward. https://lnkd.in/gMZeSScS