Keeping people in jail just because they cannot afford cash bail is one of the lowest forms of American greed and systemic racism today. Not only is it putting profits over people, it's damaging our health in ways that often go unnoticed.
Spending any amount of time in jail can lead to mental health conditions like depression, schizophrenia and anxiety. The experience of being booked and becoming a number to the system erases our humanity and this feeling amplifies because families are involved.
Spending any amount of time in jail can lead to mental health conditions like depression, schizophrenia and anxiety. The experience of being booked and becoming a number to the system erases our humanity and this feeling amplifies because families are involved.
Cash Bail doesn't just affect the individual. The ripple effects to families are vast. From child custody loss to housing instability, getting caught in this system is just the beginning of trouble. Calls to end cash bail are growing and states like New York are fiercely debating the issue.
Ending cash bail nationwide can not only help address some of the structural racism in this country, but it can also literally improve the health of our people. Being caged is a detriment to our health, so we must abolish any system that threatens our ability to truly be free.