Every year, millions of low-income Americans,

who haven’t been tried or convicted of anything,

wait behind bars for their day in court.

The law presumes they’re innocent,

but they remain in a jail cell because they

can't afford to pay bail to buy their liberty.

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Poverty is not a crime.

“Innocent until proven guilty” should not depend on race or income, but in America that is the reality. When someone gets locked up, and can’t afford to pay their bail, they have two choices: plead guilty to the crime, or sit in jail until our backlogged courts can bring them to trial, which in many cases can take years. We believe that people shouldn’t have to plead guilty to a crime they may not have committed just because they can’t afford a bail payment, which is why we’re paying people’s bail.

 

Read our statement on SB 10 here

90% of people who are held in jail on bail will plead guilty just to go home, even if they did not commit the crime.

The Revolving Bail Fund Model stops people from ever having to make that choice.

How it works

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Take the first step to end mass incarceration.