The following statement is from Laquita Garcia, Statewide Right2Justice Policy Coordinator with the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to President Trump signing an executive order seeking to end cashless bail:
“Texans need investments in justice, not mass incarceration.
“Donald Trump’s out-of-touch approach to bail and public safety is a waste of taxpayer money that upholds a two-tiered justice system — one for the wealthy and well-connected like him, and another for everyone else. Trump’s approach won’t make Texas safer.
“Thousands sit locked up in Texas jails only because they can’t afford bail — not because they pose a public safety risk. Studies continue to show that the majority of those in jail in our state have not been convicted of a crime; these Texans simply can’t buy their freedom.
“Trump’s executive order attacks pre-trial justice, expanding the harmful use of money bail and pre-trial detention, which disproportionately hurts everyday working-class Black and Latino Texans.
“The question we should really be asking ourselves is how we create a system that humanely addresses root causes of crime, while protecting the constitutional rights of all Texans — no matter one’s race, age, income, or ZIP Code. That means investing in mental health care, addressing poverty, and offering tangible life-changing opportunities for impacted community members.”
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About Texas Organizing Project:
Texas Organizing Project (TOP) organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.