According to the Prison Policy Initiative, there are over 555,000 people who are detained in local jails and correctional facilities who have not been convicted or sentenced of a crime. Majority of these individuals cannot pay the cash bail amount set to be released. Across the United States, the median cash bail amount is $10,000 for felonies.

The cash bail system continues to perpetuate cycles of poverty and incarceration. The ability of a person to afford the amount set to be released does not predict whether a person will appear for their court date or if they are a risk to public safety. It results in people who do not have disposable income spending days to months in jail that further impacts their livelihood. 

It takes only 3 days before someone who is jailed and cannot afford cash bail to potentially lose their employment, housing and custody to their children. The ACLU of Nebraska published a report in 2016 that found people with nonviolent charges that could not afford bail spent an average of 48 days in jail. That same report also found that people of color are more likely asked to pay cash bail in higher amounts than white Nebraskans.

We must end the criminalization of poverty and further injustices the cash bail system continues to perpetuate on people in Nebraska and especially our communities of color.

Sign the petition to let our legislators know we want to end cash bail in Nebraska.