NextGen America Announces Advocacy Push for Money Bail Reform in California

Video Featuring Dule Hill Seeks to Educate Californians on Need to End Money Bail System

San Francisco, CA— Today, NextGen America announced that it will launch an advocacy campaign in support of California Senate Bill 10, a bill aimed at reforming the California money bail system, through a series of digital ads highlighting the stories of individuals adversely affected by the bail system. The campaign will feature actor, and activist Dulé Hill and those affected by bail to raise awareness about the unfair money bail system. The campaign focuses on educating constituents, legislators across the state about the fundamentally unjust nature of the California money bail system.

“If we truly consider ourselves a progressive state that cares about justice before the law and equal treatment for all people, regardless of background, then we must fix this glaring affront to human dignity occurring right here in California,” said NextGen America President Tom Steyer. “We have an opportunity to show the way forward on creating a criminal justice system that doesn’t operate by one set of rules for the poor and another set of rules for those who are well off. If we are going to demand a government in Washington D.C. that recognizes the humanity of all people, we must demand one in California as well.”

California’s money bail system has led to untold suffering for thousands of families, and disproportionately affects low-income families and people of color. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the median bail price is $50,000, which exceeds the total income of many low-income households. Additionally, close to 46,000 Californians, who have not been convicted of any crime, are sitting in a jail cell simply because they are unable to afford money bail.

“I got involved with SB10 to lend my voice to an issue that affects far too many individuals, families and communities,” said Dulé Hill. “There has to be a more equitable process for individuals who find themselves on the wrong side of the law but do not have the financial means to navigate the bail system smoothly. It’s one thing to deal with the consequences of a possible crime committed. It’s a whole other thing to compound those consequences just because someone doesn’t have money. We have to start somewhere and I believe SB10 is a strong step in the right direction.”

The California State Legislature is currently negotiating the details of Senate Bill 10 — a bill to reform the state’s money bail system. This is NextGen’s most recent effort in its campaign on bail reform, and will build on previous efforts, such as a large scale digital ad buy and several billboards in Sacramento back in March. NextGen will continue to educate Californians across the state and work with partners to to pass meaningful bail reform this year.