Jubilee Day of Action 2023

Mark your calendars for October 18, 2023, as the Jubilee Day of Action approaches! Debt Free Justice, a national campaign to abolish youth fees and fines, and the Debt Collective, a debtors' union fighting to cancel debts and defend millions of households, have joined forces to raise awareness against the unjust methods of wealth extraction in the criminal legal system.

Mission

Our mission is to empower impacted communities by mobilizing and advocating against racially motivated, unjust, and illegitimate methods of stripping resources away from youth and families within the adult and juvenile criminal legal system.

Vision

We envision a free future where no one is compelled to bear the financial burdens of their own incarceration, thereby eliminating the disproportionate impact on low-income communities of color and women.

Goal

Through our collective efforts, we aim to shift the power imbalance between debtors and creditors in order to abolish the criminal legal system and beyond in order to achieve transformative justice and equity for all.

Collaboration Statement

We are eager to collaborate and build collective power together. By joining forces, we aim to bring an end to the criminal legal debt system and create systemic change. This toolkit provides valuable assistance with context, messaging, social media, and outreach. We encourage you to utilize these resources as we collectively strive for a more equitable future. By registering to join us you commit to participating in the Jubilee Day of Action on October 18, 2023, via an in-person action and/or social media.

Resources

What is Carceral Debt?

Carceral debt is a form of household debt that is directly related to contact with the criminal legal system. We can generally split it into 4 categories:

Pretrial Debt: Bail or immigration Bonds, Traffic citations, Attorney Fees, Drug and Alcohol testing and evaluations, Booking Fee, Court Administration Fees
Incarceration Debt: Commissary/Canteen, Medical Copays, Phone and Video Calls, Restitution, Money Transfer Fees, GPS monitoring
Reentry Debt: Costs of Drug & Alcohol Classes, Probation/Parole fees, Electronic Monitoring fee, Reentry program fees, Child support, Mental health and Rehabilitative programming, Fines & cost of care generally
Shadow Debt: Mortgages & rental debt, Credit Cards, PayDay loans, Private Student loans, Healthcare debt

What are Juvenile Fees and Fines and how did we get here?

We encourage you to watch this video and download our Fees and Fines Fact Sheet to learn more about the history of court debts imposed on young people.

Fees and Fines 101

FAQs

When is the Jubilee Day of Action?

The Jubilee Day of Action will take place on October 18, 2023.

What types of events will take place on the Jubilee Day of Action?

Folks can engage in a variety of in-person or virtual events. The national campaign will hold a press conference and Debt Burn Oct 18, 2023 at 10 am PST/1 pm EST at 441 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The event will be streamed live on Facebook and Instagram
Click HERE for information on events happening in your state.

Who can participate?

Anyone can participate! The Jubilee Day of Action is a mass movement in collaboration with individuals, families, non-profits, and grassroots organizations across the country.

Does one need to register to participate?

For organizations that would like to collaborate with us on a local Day of Action event, register HERE
For individuals wanting to participate in a local event, click HERE for information on events happening in your state.

How can I join?

You can organize a local Jubilee Day of Action event. DOWNLOAD our Day of Action Toolkit for more resources.
You can reach out and work with a local organization on their event. Click HERE for information on events happening in your state.
You can share stories about the campaign and the Jubilee Day of Action among your own network.

Is there a list of participating organizations?

Click HERE for information on events happening in your state.

Does Debt Free Justice or Debt Collective accept donations to help system-impacted individuals pay down their debt?

Neither Debt Free Justice nor Debt Collective accepts donations to help system-impacted individuals pay down their debt, although we encourage you to reach out to our partner organizations to learn more about their grassroots advocacy work.