Poverty is not a crime, but every day thousands of New Yorkers await trial in city jails because they cannot afford bail, which is often as low as $250. 

For our community in the South Bronx, “innocent until proven guilty” does not apply. With one of the most backlogged court systems in the country, people wait years before going to trial. Even one night in jail can cause someone to lose their job, their housing, and even custody of their children.  

We are a nonprofit with a revolving fund to pay bail for people accused of misdemeanors. Our goal is to keep people in their communities while they await trial – and to fight for a system that no longer criminalizes poverty.