CCBF strives to maintain transparency and accountability to the larger community that makes all our work possible by providing periodic public updates on the operations of our Revolving Fund. Our last detailed update can be found here. As we shared in our 2020 review, CCBF paid over $2.5 million to free 310 people across Illinois last year. 

In 2021, CCBF has paid over $500,000 to free more than 60 people, most of whom were incarcerated in Cook County Jail. 

Of the total 61 bonds paid, 15 were for Black Lives Matter uprising-related cases totalling over $110,000. These 15 individuals were all originally arrested and/or charged in relation to last summer’s protests, or arrested during ongoing BLM protests in Winnebago County. With another wave of police violence erupting just before this summer begins, CCBF remains committed to protecting those arrested in connection with civil disobedience and uprising in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives. Additionally, CCBF joins those calling on Mayor Lori Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the charges against Black Lives Matter protestors arrested during last year’s uprisings in Chicago. 

In April, CCBF paid $40,000 to free Ruben Roman following the police murder of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. We posted bond for Ruben because we are aware that the City will continue to use him as a scapegoat. With high profile cases like Ruben’s, where safety risks while incarcerated are elevated above the norm, it is especially important that an accused person can exercise their rights and participate in their legal defense from a place of freedom. Though the help of a bail fund should not have been necessary, CCBF stands by our decision to support Ruben in securing his constitutional right to the presumption of innocence.

In addition to responding to requests on our hotline, CCBF has also paid bond to free several people referred to us by Believers Bail Out and other community partners. 

Thanks to your support, we continue to have the resources to free everyone arrested in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter movement in Illinois. 

Your support also enables us to continue helping people seeking assistance to free their loved ones from Cook County Jail. We remain grateful to all our donors and the larger movement that makes our work possible, and we will continue to pay bonds and do everything else we can to fight for pretrial freedom in our communities.