Our goal: Alleviate the financial injustices that affect justice-impacted people of limited financial means in Orange County, NC.
What We Do
Change Unjust Legal Practices
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, “each year, at least 128,000 different people are booked into jails in North Carolina.” 82% of the people sitting in our jails have yet to be convicted.
We work to shed light on unfair and unnecessary practices in our local criminal legal system that create an unfair burden on our neighbors with limited financial means.
Assist People to Meet the Financial Implications of Being Detained
Sitting in jail pretrial can mean the loss of housing, a job, and family. But there are also the costs of making phone calls and commissary items priced at more than double what they cost in regular stores. There is the compounded cost of trying to restore a driver’s license lost because an individual couldn’t afford their court fines and fees. The financial implications of being arrested and possibly detained hit those who are already struggling financially much harder and last longer than their neighbors with higher incomes.
Advocate for People Incarcerated Pre-trial
We formed to gather data and to educate our community about the racial and economic disparities of bail determination and to provide bail assistance to our neighbors. Since then, we have also helped provide transportation funds so people can make their court dates, commissary funds, participated in a criminal debt fund, and funded a position in our jail to address mental health needs.
All people deserve to be treated equitably and with dignity regardless of whether or not they are in jail. We believe that a little help goes a long way in helping people resolve their court cases successfully.
Work With Other Community Stakeholders
In all things, we work to be in conversation with our neighbors whose lives are unfairly and disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
In addition to speaking out about unjust practices, we strive to work with other local organizations to affect change.
If you would like to speak with us about your experience or invite us to speak to your organization, please contact us.