On Christmas Eve, CCBF posted $5,000 to free Andre from Cook County Jail. He had been locked up for more than five months because he couldn’t pay the bond he was given after being arrested in July 2016 and charged with residential burglary. Despite not having any substantial criminal background and receiving a Pretrial Services recommendation that he be released without any conditions, a bond court judge set Andre’s bond at $80,000 (requiring payment of $8,000). The judge also ordered that Andre be placed on electronic monitoring (EM) even if he did post the huge bond. Later on, Andre’s bond was reduced to $50,000 with EM, but it was still an amount his family could not pay.

Prior to his arrest, Andre worked downtown as a laborer at a temporary staffing agency. He shared an apartment with his longtime girlfriend and his 7 year-old son on Chicago’s South side. Andre regularly volunteered at a recreation center and spent a significant amount of time with his close-knit family.

Thanks to your support, Andre was home in time to spend Christmas with his son and other family members. Last week, Andre’s case ended when he received 18 months of probation. Posting Andre’s bond saved him 11 more days of incarceration in CCJ, and his bond is now being returned to our revolving fund to free someone else in the future. Andre is excited to begin working and rebuilding his life now that his case is over and he is off of electronic monitoring.