Wealth-based detention Is harmful, cruel, and can be deadly.
We fight for the Coloradans whose stories we tell here, and the hundreds more who faced pain and death because of over-policing and an unjust carceral system. Please read their stories and take action.
We fight for these Coloradans who were killed by Colorado law enforcement while being held on bond for low-level offenses.
Michael Marshall
Michael Marshall was killed by law enforcement in jail while unable to pay a $100 bond
Michael was arrested for misdemeanor trespass and was held on a $100 bond at the Denver City Jail. During a psychiatric episode in jail, he acted erratically. In response, deputies held him down until he died. The city paid $4.65 million in a settlement to his family.
Reverend Marvin Booker
Reverend Booker was killed by law enforcement while being held a low-level drug charge.
While being held in the Denver County Jail, Rev. Marvin Booker had gone into a waiting area to retrieve his shoes, and four deputies used handcuffs, nunchucks and a “sleeper hold” to restrain him, then applied a taser to Booker when he was already handcuffed and being held down on the floor.
Michael Marshall, Marvin Booker, De’Von Bailey, Elijah McClain, Jeffrey Melvin Jr, Jaime Ceballos, and Jack Jacquez were all people of color killed in Colorado by law enforcement for alleged lower-level offenses or in a situation where no crime was alleged.
Learn more about racialized police violence in Colorado
We fight for Coloradans who are victims of police violence.
Karen Garner
Karen Garner, a disabled 73 year old grandmother with dementia, was violently arrested by Loveland police after allegedly leaving a store without paying for $14 worth of items.
Her arm was fractured and her shoulder dislocated, among other injuries. While officers were aware that Karen Garner’s shoulder had been dislocated, no one notified medical staff, and she sat chained to a bench without treatment and in pain for hours. She is now permanently disabled from her injuries.
We fight for these Coloradans who died by suicide while being held in jail over low-level offenses.
Jerid Thistle
Jerid Thistle died by suicide in jail after the judge denied the prosecutor’s request to release him on a PR bond
Jerid struggled with mental health, which led to his arrest for theft under $500 and illegal weapon possession in 2021. The prosecutor and public defender agreed Jerid was safe for release on a non-monetary bond, but the judge refused. Jerid could not pay the $5,000 bond. After detoxing alone in the Alamosa Jail for three days, he died by suicide.
SUZANNE BURGAZ
Suzanne Burgaz was an artist and mother of four who died by suicide because she could not afford to pay a $1,500 bond
After Suzanne failed to appear in court in 2018 for low-level offenses including shoplifting while homeless, she was incarcerated in the Jefferson Jail. The next day, she appeared in court, ready to be released. However, as a result of two outstanding low-level cases, she had to pay a $1,500 bond for failure to appear. Knowing she did not have the money to be free, she died by suicide in jail.
Jackson Maes
Jackson Maes died by suicide in jail. His crime? Missing a court date for a traffic ticket.
In 2019, Jackson died by suicide in the Saguache Jail after making comments about wanting to kill himself to deputies, who did not put him on suicide watch and did not check on him for over eight hours.
“I don’t want this to happen to anybody else’s family ever again. I’ll never know why they ignored his cries for help.” - Jackson’s mom, Sarah
We’re building a coalition.
We are stronger together. Let’s work together to protect our most vulnerable neighbors in Colorado from the harms of the criminal INjustice system.