Support community bail funds, not greedy systems!
Hey y’all, Crystal here, community organizer with POWHR.
In 2018, a group of us in Roanoke raised money to have our first Mama’s Day bailout. We were able to get three moms out of jail that were being held pretrial but not able to pay their bond. This was the beginning of the Roanoke Community Bail Fund, which still functions and has been beneficial for many families locally. This cause means a lot to me because of my own life experiences and the people I’ve met through this work.
The work goes like this: we bail someone out of jail. Once the person goes to court the money is then returned to us. The money then goes back into the fund to be used for the next person we bail out. During the whole process, we offer the people rides to court and doctor appointments, provide bus passes when possible, and just serve as a friend, sometimes talking to them about their lives for hours. It’s important and meaningful work.
Currently, this process is being threatened by legislation that regulates and requires certification of charitable bail organizations. House Bill 846 is trying to make it so that you can’t post bail for someone without going through a bondsman. Paid bondsmen do not provide any community care like we do and they take 10-15% of the money for themselves. They make a profit off of others’ misfortunes and provide no support.
We are writing to urge you to call, email, or visit legislators today asking them to deny this legislation.
House Bill 846, introduced by Delegate Wren Williams, could be heard very soon in the Committee for Courts of Justice, so legislators need to hear from us NOW about why this legislation would be harmful to Virginians, especially our frontline communities!
This is important because as we continue to resist the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the many other intersecting issues we face daily, the state is intent on upping arrests and throwing around exaggerated charges (you can donate to the Appalachian legal defense fund to support). Being able to post bail without going through a bondsman has allowed money to come back to the community as opposed to lining the pockets of a predatory system – a system that has held up this pipeline.
Contacting all legislators is essential right now, but we especially need help contacting those on the Committee for Courts of Justice. If you don’t know your district, you can look it up quickly here.
Committee for Courts of Justice Legislators:
Delegate Patrick A. Hope (THANK YOU for introducing HB 103 + 309!)
General Assembly Building, Room 709
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1001
email: DelPHope@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Marcus B. Simon
General Assembly Building, Room 1114
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1013
email: DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Vivian E. Watts
General Assembly Building, Room 907
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1014
email: DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr.
General Assembly Building, Room 908
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1006
email: DelRSullivan@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Karrie K. Delaney
General Assembly Building, Room 1112
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1009
email: DelKDelaney@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado
General Assembly Building, Room 819
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1020
email: delmmaldonado@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Phil M. Hernandez
General Assembly Building, Room 1103
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1094
email: DelPHernandez@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Rae Cousins
General Assembly Building, Room 917
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1079
email: DelRCousins@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Atoosa Reaser
General Assembly Building, Room 1016
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1027
email: DelAReaser@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Joshua E. Thomas
General Assembly Building, Room 903
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1021
email: DelJThomas@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Katrina Callsen
General Assembly Building, Room 901
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1054
email: DelKCallsen@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra
General Assembly Building, Room 1001
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1007
email: DelKKeys-Gamarra@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Terry G. Kilgore
General Assembly Building, Room 1007
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1045
email: DelTKilgore@house.virginia.gov
Delegate James A. “Jay” Leftwich
General Assembly Building, Room 1008
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1090
email: DelJLeftwich@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jason S. Ballard
General Assembly Building, Room 805
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1042
email: deljballard@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Wren M. Williams
General Assembly Building, Room 705
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1047
email: delwwilliams@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Amanda E. Batten
General Assembly Building, Room 712
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1071email: DelABatten@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Phil M. Hernandez
General Assembly Building, Room 1103
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1094
email: DelPHernandez@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Rae Cousins
General Assembly Building, Room 917
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1079
email: DelRCousins@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Atoosa Reaser
General Assembly Building, Room 1016
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1027
email: DelAReaser@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Joshua E. Thomas
General Assembly Building, Room 903
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1021
email: DelJThomas@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Katrina Callsen
General Assembly Building, Room 901
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1054
email: DelKCallsen@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra
General Assembly Building, Room 1001
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1007
email: DelKKeys-Gamarra@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Terry G. Kilgore
General Assembly Building, Room 1007
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1045
email: DelTKilgore@house.virginia.gov
Delegate James A. “Jay” Leftwich
General Assembly Building, Room 1008
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1090
email: DelJLeftwich@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jason S. Ballard
General Assembly Building, Room 805
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1042
email: deljballard@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Wren M. Williams
General Assembly Building, Room 705
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1047
email: delwwilliams@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Amanda E. Batten
General Assembly Building, Room 712
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1071
email: DelABatten@house.virginia.gov
Delegate A.C. Cordoza
General Assembly Building, Room 719
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1086
email: delaccordoza@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jonathan “Jed” Arnold
General Assembly Building, Room 802
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1646
email: deljarnold@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Will Davis
General Assembly Building, Room 717
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1039
email: DelWDavis@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Chris Obenshain
General Assembly Building, Room 804
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1041
email: DelCObenshain@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Mark L. Earley, Jr.
General Assembly Building, Room 701
201 North 9th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 698-1073email: DelMEarley@house.virginia.gov