In 2018 the AADM launched the Books and Bailout initiative to bring awareness and to address the issue of mass incarceration. The AADM provides bail out support to incarcerated juveniles and adults within Athens Clarke County and surround areas during the Mothers Day, Fathers Day,, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on a case bay case basis through out the year.
Being poor in America has become a crime and everyday citizens are being incarcerated or retained in jail because they do not have the cash to pay bail, fines, or legal fees. To reform the criminal justice system, one of the key components is to eliminate cash bail. People of color and those who live in poverty are being targeted and mass incarceration is slowly becoming the modern form of slavery. Incarceration can lead to loss of employment and/or housing and for a single parent, this may even mean losing children and falling deeper into debt. Often black and brown people are negatively impacted the most by our justice system which has failed us.
The Prison Policy Initiative, a Massachusetts-based justice reform group, conducted a survey in 2013 and the results revealed that the Peach State and New Mexico was at the top of the list when it comes to jail incarceration. In New Mexico 340.8 per 100,000 residents were incarcerated and, Georgia followed with the second highest rate of 317.3 per 100,000 residents. “The results were based on the number of people held in local jails in 2013, which have declined from their all-time high in the mid-1990s. Georgia’s prison incarceration rates, however, remain near their highest.”
The United States locks up a greater portion of its population than nearly any other country in the world, according to new data from the government’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. Since 2016, the number of people incarcerated decreased only by 1 percent to 1,505,400 people but that isn’t enough.
Quick facts: “Costs vary by county, but inmate costs per day can add up. In Decatur County in Southwest Georgia, it costs $33/day per inmate, leading to nearly $1,000 per month per inmate. Georgia pays almost $58/day to house state prisoners and in July of 2015, the Georgia Department of Corrections reported paying county jails $22/day to hold inmates awaiting transfer to a state facility.” Most inmates are locked up and penalized for low offense, non-violent crimes, and your tax dollars are paying to house inmates.
The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement tackle this issue in three ways:
- Provide bailout support on Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Valentines, and Christmas, and case by case basis)
- Books For Inmates. Click here for more details.
- Community Service
By making a donation, you can help to relieve the financial burden of the debtor’s prison.
Resources and Articles:
Georgia Incarceration Rate: See How It Stacks Up To Other States.
Georgia Prison Policy Profile and more.
Black Mama Bail Outs
Thank You in advance for your contribution.