ATLANTA— Georgia Senate Bill 63, which forces people who can’t afford to pay bail to languish in jail, is unlawful and the ACLU of Georgia will sue if the governor signs it into law.
In a state that already locks up more of its people than any other state in the country, the legislature has passed SB 63, which will dramatically increase the number of Georgians languishing in our jails and make our communities less safe. Already, 51% of the people in Georgia’s jails are Black, while just 30% of the state’s overall population is Black.
“Not only is SB 63 bad policy, it is illegal. It unconstitutionally criminalizes poverty and restricts conduct protected by the First Amendment, and the ACLU of Georgia will sue if the governor signs this bill into law,” said Cory Isaacson, legal director of the ACLU of Georgia. “We can’t allow the state to enact a system in which a person’s freedom is determined by the color of their skin and the amount of money in their wallet.”