Criminal Justice Series - 03-29-22 - Activism in Action with guest speaker Elisabeth Epps

The final event in our Activism in Action theme of the Criminal Justice Event Series features Elisabeth Epps, who established the Colorado Freedom Fund (CFF) in 2018. The CFF is comprised of abolitionists who are trying to work themselves out of existence. They support litigation, legislation, and direct action to end wealth-based pre-trial detention, and the fund, itself, is used to pay cash bail in full for individuals who cannot afford to pay it themselves. It has paid bail amounts from $50 to $50,000. After CFF pays bail, they work with released individuals to ensure they attend their court dates and have their cases resolved.



The CFF’s work is meaningful in a number of ways: It illuminates how a structural feature of the criminal justice system is set up to criminalize poverty, and more directly, it provides individuals accused but not convicted of crimes with their freedom prior to their trials or plea bargains. People who are free prior to the resolution of their cases are able to maintain their health, housing, family and other relationships, and employment. Also, they have better case outcomes, as well in that they are more likely to have their cases dismissed and less likely to plead guilty.