"For the last nine years, Essie members have seen these tactics play out over and over again as founding members of the National Bail Out, a Black-led collective of abolitionists working to abolish pretrial detention systems. Our collective formed in response to the disproportionate impact that pretrial detention and the bail system specifically have on Black mothers and caregivers. As a primary leader of the Black Mama’s Bail Out campaign in California, Essie has bailed out 21 Black mothers and caregivers from jails across the state, and every year, we experience these intentional, onerous, and negligent tactics.
Women with incarcerated loved ones from Essie’s membership, who have experience and expertise in navigating California’s jail system, report that jail staff “do everything they can to keep people in a cell overnight.” It’s always the expertise of women with incarcerated loved ones that ensures safe homecomings for all of the Black mothers and caregivers we’ve bailed out. And it’s our expertise in caregiving and reentry—providing court support, finding and connecting formerly incarcerated Black mothers to housing and mental health resources, conducting regular wellness checks, and welcoming them into supportive, lifelong community—that strengthens their rebuilding."
https://prismreports.org/2025/06/02/black-mothers-at-mercy-of-california-jail-system/
#racism #jail #california