Join League of Women Voters St. Paul for a free public forum on excessive bail and how it impacts economically disadvantaged populations at “Bail Me Out! Understanding Bail and Economic Justice.” The discussion will explore the structure of bail and excessive bail in Ramsey County; and how the bail system works and what impact it has on the community, especially for vulnerable communities.
Featured speakers include The Honorable Nicole Starr of the 2nd Judicial District, Ramsey County, and Tonja Honsey, Executive Director of the Minnesota Freedom Fund. The Minnesota Freedom Fund is an nonprofit organization that pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford it. The organization stands against cash bail as unjust and they "identify wealth-based discrimination as a vehicle for the criminal justice system to target populations for structural violence."
The East Side Freedom Library (ESFL) has its home in the former Arlington Hills library, one of St. Paul’s historic Carnegie library buildings at 1105 Greenbrier Street, located in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Its mission is to "inspire solidarity, advocate for justice and work toward equity for all.”
Future LWVSP talks will include topics such as election security; affordable housing; the National Popular Vote, and presidential primaries vs. caucuses in Minnesota. Please check back later on the LWVSP event calendar for more upcoming events.
For Further Reading on Problems with Excessive Bail
“Locked Up in Debtor’s Prison” in the Atlantic 2/2015 issue
“Jailed for Being Broke” Rolling Stone Magazine 6/23/2015
"Gulf Coast town repeals ordinance criminalizing the poor" Southern Poverty Law Center
Human Rights Watch: Price of Freedom Report 2010
The Nation article “America is Waking up to the Injustice of Cash Bail” 10/19/2017
Washington Post: “Cash Bail System isn’t working, We can fix it. 11/28/2017
Priceonomics “America’s Peculiar Bail System” 5/26/2015
© League of Women Voters of St. Paul
