Thread: a 69-year-old man with pancreatic cancer was just jailed in Texas in the middle of his chemotherapy because he couldn't pay $500 cash bail after being accused of shoplifting from Walmart. His story is important: (1)

Robert, a vietnam veteran, was found languishing by the @TxJailProject. He panicked: he couldn't get out of jail b/c he had no way to reach his wife and b/c "I got to panhandle for extra food out there. We got a nice mobile home and everything, but we are on limited income." (2)

“I had a nervous breakdown in there. I couldn't take it. I prayed every day. I couldn't a hold of my wife. I didn't know if they knew where I was... I'm thinking about not being in here, and please somebody let me out.” (3) https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/dallas-fort-worth/news/2021/02/10/who-belongs-behind-bars--texas-bail-reform-debated

As you read this, there are 500,000 people in the US caged before their trial, the largest rate of pretrial human caging in modern world history. Most of them are separated from children and parents because their families can't pay cash bail. (4)

Despite this horror, many Democrats and Republicans in Texas and beyond are proposing fake "bail reform," that will only increase jail populations and family separation, enrich large for-profit corporations, and exacerbate racial disparities. (5)

Orgs like @TxJailProject and community bail funds across US are working against these injustices. Find out how you can support them and learn from them about transformative policies that will actually help the problems. @bailfundnetwork @BukitBF @ChiBondFund @MassBailFund (6)