We’re calling on District Attorney Deb Ryan and other County Officials to end Cash Bail in Chester County. We’ve held canvasses, a Town Hall, and are creating a Story Telling project to raise our voices and connect our experiences with the community and the elected officials who have the authority to heal the harms wrought by this practice. If you’d like to get involved,volunteerorbecome a member today.
Cash Bail is a practice that is supposedly meant to keep us safe, but actively harms our communities by imprisoning people before trial if they can’t afford bail, effectively making poor people “guilty until proven innocent”. It splits families apart, unfairly impacts people of color, and makes neighborhoods more dangerous as it deepens the cycle of debt, poverty, and incarceration. Eliminating Cash Bail would ensure that pre-trial detention is based on someone’s likelihood to harm others, not because they’re rich or poor.
We want to ensure safe and thriving communities for all, where children and families can live full lives free of poverty and racial division-- that’s why we’re building a united front of poor and working people of all backgrounds to call on decision makers to take a stand and heal our communities by abolishing Cash Bail in Chester County by 2021.
Do you have a story about your experience with Cash Bail? You’re not alone. Learn more about ourStorytelling Projectand use your voice to make change.
Cash Bail fails to make our communities safer and fuels mass incarceration
- Columbia researchers state there’s no statistical evidence showing it results in any positive outcomes
- 65% of our national jail population are the unconvicted who cannot afford bail
- Cash bail makes people more likely to plead guilty to shorten their sentences
Cash Bail splits families apart and endangers our communities
- 150k children have a parent in jail because they can’t afford to pay bail
- 56% of pre-trial defendants are parents
- Poverty and crime rates are linked- Cash Bail increases poverty rates, making crime worse
- 78% of Americans believe pretrial system benefits the wealthy
- 57% of Americans do not want people behind bars for cash bail except in extreme cases
Cash Bail disproportionately impacts people of color, especially black people
- Black and brown folks are 10-25% more likely than white people to pay bail or serve a pre-trial sentence
- Median bonds are 10k higher for black defendants
Cash Bail serves to create profit for large corporations
- According to the Marshall Project in MS in a town where the annual income is less than 22k a year 43 million in a span of 18 months was paid to bail companies
- In a 5 year period in MD people paid 75 million in non-refundable bail
- Bail bonds companies are owned by global insurance companies
Abolishing Cash Bail will make our communities safer
- In states that abolished Cash Bail, 92.6% of those accused of a crime have shown up to court and 89% of those people never received new charges
- Alternatives to cash bail include pretrial services, mental health and addiction support, and community investment that addresses poverty and harm at their foundations
- Eliminating Cash Bail means that people will be held pre-trial if they’re likely to commit harm, not because they’re poor- and others will go free because they’re not likely to commit harm, not because they’re wealthy.