A volunteer movement for fairer pretrial justice in North Carolina.
We are a group of volunteers in North Carolina who work on cash bail reform as educators and advocates. Our initial focus was on communities of faith, and we have come to realize that many civic-minded organizations are also interested in learning more and advocating with their public officials.
Our mission
Our goal is to build a multicultural, diverse, community-led movement which educates the public and decision makers as to the injustices of the present system, identifies proven alternatives for nonfinancial conditions of pretrial release and advocates for change.
We believe fair minded people, once they understand the injustice of the current system, will be motivated to educate and advocate for reform, locally and statewide, to replace for-profit cash bail with pretrial release programs and other alternatives which preserve public safety and do not incarcerate people simply because they cannot afford bail.
Powerful commercial interests in the state of NC (the Bail Bond Industry and the Insurance Companies which underwrite them) are aligned in opposition to reform.
What we believe
Our faith traditions call us to dignity, fairness, and care for neighbors with the least. A justice system that fails to honor these values, and harms our common humanity, must be changed.
Equal treatment under the law shouldn't depend on wealth.
Public safety decisions should be made by judges, based on evidence — not by a for-profit industry.
Punishment should come after conviction, not before trial.
Our partners
The North Carolina Council of churches is an important ally and we process donations and pay our expenses through their 501c(3).
We are grateful for the donations we have received from communities of faith, particularly the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, who have helped lead the way on understanding the need for reform.