Those who can afford to pay, get to go home. Most often those jailed for lack of money to pay the bail bond are people of color. While awaiting trial – often for months – they lose jobs and housing, and their relationships with family are strained or broken.
If working to reform the cash bail bond system sounds like you, get in touch. We welcome your ideas and your talents.
Contact us to share your progress or ask questions.
A working group at Community United Church of Christ is leading our work to reform the current cash bail bond system as one of our economic justice and racial justice initiatives. In 2019 the congregation passed a resolution charging the group with this work. Our first step has been to work within our denomination, the United Church of Christ. We took the resolution to the Southern Conference (UCC) Annual Gathering where they approved it unanimously. Now we are assisting the Southern Conference in bringing the resolution to the United Church of Christ at their 2021 General Synod.
Read more about our work so far here
If this work sounds like you, get in touch. We welcome your ideas and your talents.
HB210 is a bill in the NC Legislature to reform some of the unjust bail bond practices. Please write your North Carolina legislators and ask them to support the bill. It is currently in the Rules Committee; please ask them to bring it to floor.
You may use Do Justice Ministry’s letter as your template.
View the passed resolution here
Congregations of the United Church of Christ will vote on a proposed cash bail bond reform resolution in July 2021.
View proposed UCC resolution here
We will share a recording of the Implementation Conversation after General Synod.
Introduction by Gary Smith
Why get invested in reforming/abolishing cash bail bonding (data) by David Bland
Guiding principles by David Bland
What Community UCC is doing in North Carolina by Adrienne Little
Dialog on a local church guide to initiating a cash bail bond reform effort by Diana Koenning and Gary Smith
Scripture references
Three NC localities’ cash bail reform accomplishments and initiatives by Diana Koenning and David Bland
Helpful documents
How to get a fair hearing
Artwork you can use – the Bail Bond Reform logo Download here
A dramatization of how the cash bail bond system works: “Cash Bail Bond Reform Sketch” by Community United Church of Christ View video here
Benediction: Mandate, Commissioning, and Prayer by Bill Gretsch