In a documentary that feels so relevant to today’s conversations and issues, “Trapped: Cash Bail in America” is an important film. It’s about the cash bail system within America which is prejudiced against the poor. It’s also prejudiced against people of colour (for Black people, it’s 25 per cent more likely their bail amount is higher).
The documentary opens with a Lyndon Johnson quote expressing that a defendant with money can buy their freedom; but the poor defendant stays in jail simply because they’re poor. With that, we meet people affected by the system. This includes a young woman, Brianna, in prison because her bail amount was set at $50,000. Another story is about William Evans, a community activist who spent 11 months in Ryker’s Island because he couldn’t post his bail. They’re both literally trapped in their situations.
We also see the people fighting against this industry and trying to make a change, and these moments are strong. Director Garrett Hubbard and writer Chris L. Jenkins paint quite the picture of these social issues, as their one-hour documentary also aims to educate people into understanding the bail system. There’s a stigma that if someone has bail, that means they’re automatically guilty. The film shows that’s not the case, and I came away with a greater understanding of the situation and how bail bonds work from watching this film.
As well, they take an unbiased approach at times, at least getting a voice from some people who work in the bail industry and are trying to make a living at it. They give their side to the story and aren’t villainized. They’re part of a huge industry, and the fact that is a billion-dollar industry is problematic. It’s only like that in the U.S. and the Philippines, which is eye-opening. There are many other interesting facts in this documentary that I’ll let you learn for yourself. Through all the characters on display here and the faces matched to these issues, it’s an important and often entertaining watch.
Arpit Nayak interviews Chris L. Jenkins
The Movie Buff Staff Writer Arpit Nayak was able to speak with the film’s writer and producer Chris L. Jenkins. In the interview, they talk about Chris’ background, finding the subjects for the film, some of the challenges with the film and how they made it more timely despite filming in 2018 and incorporating the Black Lives Matter movement, and giving a better understanding of the bail bonds system. “Trapped: Cash Bail in America” is now available to watch for free on YouTube, as a YouTube original. After watching or before watching, you can check out Arpit’s conversation with Chris directly above.
*Podcast music courtesy of bensound.com
