In just three weeks I will run the New York City marathon in support of New Yorkers who are stuck in the justice system without the ability to pay bail for a misdemeanor crime. The hardest part of training for the marathon has been giving up time that I should be dedicating to local and national political issues. Raising money for BCBF through training is my way to use the marathon to bring attention to an issue that touches many of our lives.
Please help me raise $750 in support of the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund! I appreciate contributions of any amount.
In New York City, nearly 90% of misdemeanor defendants can’t afford bail of
$1,000 or less. As a result, on average, they will spend over two weeks in jail at
Rikers Island. The inability to afford bail forces people to plead guilty just to get out of jail, even when they are innocent, or in cases that are weak or involve unlawful arrests. If they don't, they may spend months behind bars awaiting trial. And while pleading guilty lets them go home, they carry a criminal record for life. Poverty robs them of the presumption of innocence and their right to a fair trial.
The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (BCBF) pays bail for indigent New Yorkers accused of misdemeanors, presumptively innocent people who would have been jailed or forced to plead guilty for their poverty alone. Since their founding three years ago, they have become the largest bail fund in the country and have prevented the unnecessary jailing of more than 3,500 people, effectively securing over 400 years of freedom for our fellow New Yorkers.
After bail is paid, BCBF provides services that address our clients’ self-identified needs, including in the areas of employment, education, housing and mental health services. Bail Fund clients are able to work with their attorneys to fight their cases from a position of freedom.
Learn more about the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund here: https://brooklynbailfund.org/
