Women are also impacted uniquely by cash bail systems. Many women in jail are primary caregivers, and their detention can disrupt entire households. Bail funds help protect children from entering foster care by keeping parents at home.

Local economies are affected by pretrial detention as well. When people are jailed, workplaces lose employees and communities lose contributors. Bail funds help keep people employed and engaged in their neighborhoods instead of removing them from daily life.

The pressure of being jailed before trial often forces people to plead guilty, even when they may be innocent. Sitting in jail can feel unbearable, especially when freedom is just one payment away. Bail funds help reduce this coercion by allowing people to fight their cases from the outside.

Bail funds plays an educational role by helping the public understand how the justice system actually works. Many people are unaware that large numbers of jailed individuals have not been convicted of any crime. By sharing stories and data, bail funds