The Community Bail Fund Project - Sponsored by CALEB

Cities across the country are waking up to the fact that the money bail system is punishing people for being poor rather than for being criminals. Money bail is set to ensure that a defendant shows up to court, but it is an antiquated system -- the United States and the Philippines are the only countries in the world to continue the practice.

Three days in jail can ruin lives. Whether guilty or not, that stability of life is at risk. Lower-income earners are more likely to lose their jobs because of multi-day incarceration. Families lose a caregiver. The pressure to plead guilty to charges that can't hold up in a trial increases with each day. Such a decision can have effects that last over the course of their lives. Inability to pay bond results in higher rates of convictions, longer sentences, loss of housing and jobs, separation of families, threatened loss of access to needed medication, and lost custody of children. Money problems are compounded by tow costs for traffic arrests and communication costs while in custody, not to mention actual legal services.

The American court system was based on the concept of innocent until proven guilty. Yet for people who find themselves jailed until proven innocent, exercising their rights puts them in an impossible situation. Bond makes wealth, not safety, the primary determinant of whether a person can get out of jail. This is why community bail funds are proliferating in 19 states around the country, combining community resources to make sure everyone can exercise the right of presumption of innocence while at the same time working to end the money bail system.

PERSONAL WEALTH SHOULD NOT BE THE BASIS FOR DETERMINING IF SOMEONE IS A FLIGHT RISK OR DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY.

Benefits of a bail fund in Hamilton County

• PREVENT the destruction of defendant livelihoods and family separation pre-trial.

• REDUCE soaring pre-trial detention. There are 30-50 daily arrests with an average stay of 10 days for those who can't make bail.

• SAVE money! It costs $89/night to keep someone in jail.

PARTNER WITH US TODAY as we develop a community fund to help eligible defendants get the bail money they need but can't afford. If you're interested in supporting a community fund project please reach out to caleb.chattanooga@gmail.com

CALEB (Chattanooga in Action for Love, Equality and Benevolence) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, made up of faith communities, labor unions, and community organizations working to make Chattanooga a better place for all its people.

Ending Cash Bail in Hamilton County - CALEB CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE

Cash bail harms individuals and families. Even three days in jail can cause loss of a job, family separation and lost custody, pressure to plead guilty rather than seek a fair trial. It harms our community. 57% of the local jail population is held pretrial. It costs over $100,000 a day to maintain both jails in Hamilton County. As school children, we learn the Pledge of Allegiance. The words "with liberty and justice for all" become ingrained in our psyches as the most basic rights afforded to those of us in the United States. Unfortunately, the reality is that liberty and justice are not available to all, but more often to those who can pay.

WHAT WE WANT

• Liberty is the Norm Pending Trial

• Justice for ALL without profit or excessive fees

• Decarceration is the answer

Learn more at calebcha.org/criminaljustice

Disclaimer: Turnbowology is not affiliated with CALEB in any way. Just sharing the information.