Jay Z Is Helping Bail Fathers Out Of Jail For Father's Day

"We can't fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry."

BYTrevor Smith
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Jay Z has written an op-ed for Time Magazine in which he reveals plans to bail fathers out of jail this weekend. The rapper will support charities like Southerners on New Ground and Color of Change, who bailed mothers out last Mother's day, in an effort to fight back against the "exploitative" bail industry.

"When black and brown people are over-policed and arrested and accused of crimes at higher rates than others, and then forced to pay for their freedom before they ever see trial, big bail companies prosper," he writes." This pre-incarceration conundrum is devastating to families. One in 9 black children has an incarcerated parent. Families are forced to take on more debt, often in predatory lending schemes created by bail bond insurers. Or their loved ones linger in jails, sometimes for months—a consequence of nationwide backlogs. Every year $9 billion dollars are wasted incarcerating people who've not been convicted of a crime, and insurance companies, who have taken over our bail system, go to the bank."

While he is happy to help out, Jay expressed that there is still a long battle to be fought. "As a father with a growing family, it's the least I can do, but philanthropy is not a long fix, we have to get rid of these inhumane practices altogether," he says. We can't fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry."

Read his full address here.

While not one to speak publicly on a regular basis, this marks the second time Jay has shared a message in the last week. On Thursday night, he shared some tweets thanking the many hip-hop artists who have inspired him. It has been speculated that 4:44 is a new album from the rapper that will arrive on June 30th.

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About The Author
<b>Features &amp; News Writer</b> <!--BR--> Trevor is a music writer currently based in Montreal. Follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/trevsmith_" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>.