When a person is charged with a serious crime in the United States, they are innocent until proven guilty. That’s the law, equal for all of us.
What happens next, however, is decidedly unequal.
While awaiting trial, the accused are usually eligible to be released back to their homes and families -- often after posting bail, a cash deposit that they’ll get back when their case is over.
But what if someone can’t afford to pay? They sit in jail, sometimes for weeks or months, even though they haven’t been convicted.
The cash bail system benefits the rich and harms people who are struggling to get by -- especially families from marginalized communities. Cash bail is unequal, unfair, and must change.
Sign the petition: Urge Congress to pass national cash bail reform right away.