In a huge victory for civil rights, Illinois is the first state to eliminate cash bail entirely! This is exactly the sort of criminal justice reform that is desperately needed. Now, it's time for California to do the same!
Sign the petition now to tell the state of California to follow in Illinois' footsteps and end cash bail for good!
Contrary to popular belief, cash bail doesn't keep our communities safe at all. In fact, it often does the opposite, forcing people who are innocent to plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit because they can't afford to pay bail while they spend months awaiting a trial. Over half of people sitting in jail at any given moment have not been convicted of crimes.
Cash bail can actually make our communities more broken and less safe. By keeping people who can't pay bail locked up, you're preventing them from returning to their jobs, which increases the likelihood of economic stress and makes future employment harder. It also separates parents from their children and increases homelessness. So why are we continuing this awful, unjust practice in the state?
California came close to eliminating cash bail in the past, but the bail bonding industry poured significant time and money into fighting the effort. We cannot allow an industry that profits off of peoples' incarceration to make decisions about our criminal justice system!
Sign the petition now to tell the state of California legislature: the time to end cash bail is now! Enact long overdue criminal justice reform!
