Women across the country will spend the weekend in jail, unable to post relatively low bonds. Some will get to see their kids though, thanks to Elisabeth Epps and the Denver Justice Project.
“The money has come from friends and family online, it's come from local lawyers,” Epps explained. “We are not quite at our goal which is $20,000 to post bonds for 20 women. But we're close.”
She’s collecting money to post bonds of less than $1,000 for women sitting in jail for relatively minor charges.
“Every woman whose bond we're posting hasn't been convicted of a crime. She's awaiting trial.”
The focus is on posting bond for women of color. The NAACP says African-American women are imprisoned at a rate twice that of white women.
“Black people have been buying each other's freedom since this country's earliest days. I know that's sometimes uncomfortable to talk about,” Epps said.
She says women of color are also much less likely to post their bond. A bail bondsman would only require a 10 percent down payment and many people can't even make that happen.
“If she's in on $100 bond, she's only in because of her inability to pay. And that's exactly what we're talking about.”
Elisabeth says one woman she posted for had been sitting in the Douglas County Jail since December on a $500 bond. That's five months for a trespassing charge.
“I am very comfortable posting it. Because, but for that person’s inability to pay they would be out.”
These women will have their day in court to respond to their charges. But in the meantime, just a few hundred bucks, will bring some normalcy come Sunday.
“Until we get everyone home, we are going to keep fighting this fight.”
