Today, Broadly published an op-ed by CCBF organizer Lavette Mayes. In this article, Lavette shares her own experience with pretrial incarceration and explains why she is organizing to #EndMoneyBail!

“My story, however, isn’t unique. Right now, there are about 3,000 people incarcerated at the same Cook County Jail where I was held because they cannot afford to pay their money bails. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, there nearly 500,000 people currently incarcerated throughout the US while they await trial—many of whom are there simply because they can’t afford to post bail. These are people who are losing their livelihoods, their families, and who knows what else, all because they cannot buy their freedom.

That’s why I’ve dedicated my life to trying to make sure other people don’t have to go through what I went through. I want people to know how money bail and electronic monitoring affect not just the individual who is surveilled, but the whole family and community. Our current money bail system treats poor people as guilty until they can come up with money to pay for freedom. I’m proud of the work we’re doing with the Chicago Community Bond Fund to push for local and state reforms that end this system that discriminates against the poor and destroys lives.” Lavette Mayes

You can read the editorial here.