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NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

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Cash Bail Reform

As part of the N.C. Bail Reform Working Group, the Council has created a network of faith leaders (lay and clergy) across the state who are taking a dual approach to cash bail. While working to educate the public and mobilize for policy change, they are also posting bail for those who qualify in order to mitigate the deleterious effects of the current system.

Overview

Racial injustice and systemic racism have impacted the cash bail system for far too long. Black and Latino men are assigned on average higher bail amounts than white men for similar crimes, and those who cannot pay land in jail. But it is not only the ones accused of a crime – the families and community are impacted as well. “Detention of any length has profound impacts on people’s families and their ability to pick up when they are released, and trying to do that in the context of massive unemployment is impossible, especially for those communities that were already struggling to access the resources and opportunities they deserve.” (Hayden Nelson-Major, Independence Foundation fellow, ACLU of Pennsylvania)

Now is a time to really work towards becoming a Beloved Community – a place where everyone can experience what is feels like to be a beloved child of God. Working to achieve reform of the current bail system is a tangible project where all persons of faith can have a major impact.

Key Contact

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Jennifer is a native of South Carolina and an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church. She loves South Carolina, but has managed to spend all but ten years of her adult life in North Carolina. Those ten years were spent pastoring United Methodist churches across the Upstate. She attended Duke University several times and in the process earned a BA, double majoring in English and Religion, a Master of Divinity, a PhD in religion, and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. Prior to coming to the Council, she spent 16 years as the United Methodist Chaplain at Duke University, where she also taught undergraduate and divinity school classes, served on committees and task forces, and attended lots of basketball games. She writes frequently for various publications when time permits and preaches regularly in congregations across North Carolina. Jennifer has two adult children, Nathan, who is a software developer in Durham, and Hannah, who is a digital marketing analyst in Charlotte. Jennifer is the overjoyed grandparent of Benjamin and Theodore.
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