We are proud to unveil “No More Shackles: Arguing Against Pretrial Electronic Monitoring,” a new video created in partnership with MediaJustice, a companion piece to their recently released report “No More Shackles: Ten Arguments Against Pretrial Electronic Monitoring.” You can read their report here.

Their new report asserts that electronic monitoring is “the most punitive of all pretrial release conditions.” It outlines 10 arguments against the use of electronic monitoring in pretrial contexts, based on years of research, the lived experiences of those who are directly impacted by monitoring, and those who have worked with communities where monitoring is widely used.

Our video features the stories of Timothy Williams and Lavette Mayes. Both Timmy and Lavette were freed from Cook County Jail after their bonds were paid by CCBF, but they were then placed on electronic monitoring (EM) by the court. This video succinctly displays how EM is not an alternative to incarceration but is another form of incarceration. Timothy and Lavette’s stories show us how EM not only impacts individuals on EM but their entire community.

“No More Shackles” isn’t just meant to be illuminating, it is a call to action. As we work to end money bail, we must remain vigilant and ensure that we are winning more freedom for our friends and neighbors, not putting “little prisons” in our community, as Lavette Mayes says.