For friends and family members of a person who’s been arrested, the act of paying bail is a stressful and confusing process. Beyond finding the money cover the cost of bail, payers also have to decide how to pay. There are usually two options: cash bail or a bail bond. But there are big differences between paying with cash and paying with a bond—and people have important rights when paying with either. Those who don’t understand their rights are often taken advantage of and lose more money. 

CUP collaborated with Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and designer Alex Tatusian to create Bail’s Set, What’s Next?, a guide that helps bail payers understand the difference between cash bail and bail bonds, and navigate the process of paying. It includes information on how and where to pay, when payers are entitled to refunds, how payers can try to protect themselves from illegally high fees. Learn more and download your copy of Bail's Set, What's Next? here.

On January 12th, the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (BCBF) hosted a teach-in and launch party to share the booklet with other advocates, legal providers, and community-based organizations. Guests & friends of BCBF learned about consumer rights’ within the bail system, the opportunity to distribute this tool across New York City, and how we can work together to end cash bail and protect our communities.