by Ken Baker, Wave 3 News
There’s a renewed push to end cash bonds in the Metro, with one local group saying it negatively impacts some in Louisville.
Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice spent the day knocking on doors in an Iroquois neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. After discussions, they asked each resident to sign a petition to show their support.
The group said allowing cash bail is unfair, and impacts Black, immigrant and poor people.
They added those who are less fortunate tend not to have the cash to be able to bail out of jail, which forces them to have to remain in behind bars until they go to court.
Due to this, the group said it also leads to overcrowding in the jail.
They hope to garner enough support which they hope will get judges to stop using cash bail.
“It’s honestly radically simple as it sounds,” Alex Flood, Leader of LSURJ said. “Judges still have options including things we don’t love. We believe that people are innocent until proven guilty, and when folks are stuck in jail because they are too poor, they’re being punished for crimes they aren’t convicted of. We are asking judges to cut that out.”
When enough signatures are gathered, the petitions will be sent to local judges for review.
