Right now, more than 5,500 people are incarcerated in the Cook County Jail, and almost all of them are still awaiting trial, and thus presumed innocent. People held in jail are among the most vulnerable to coronavirus and COVID-19, as jails and prisons are known to quickly spread contagious diseases.
To help reduce the large-scale incarceration of people unable to pay a monetary bond, consider participating in the End Money Bond campaign. Help demand officials take steps to dramatically lower the number of people in jail in response to COVID-19 by calling the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of Cook County’s Chief Judge.
Click here for the numbers to call for sample scripts. To learn more about the role of bond in the criminal legal system and advocate for the abolition of money bonds visit the Chicago Community Bond Fund’s website or the Coalition To End Money Bond’s website.