The Colorado Freedom Fund is a left-of-center organization that posts bail for incarcerated persons awaiting trial or in immigrant detention. ¹ It supports ending incarcerating individuals who have been charged with what it considers “low-level” crimes, as it argues they are “crimes of poverty” and are socioeconomic issues that cannot be solved by incarceration. ²

Background

Founded in 2017, the Colorado Freedom Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of Alliance for Global Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is self-described as anti-capitalist and funds far-left, radical activist groups. ^{3 4} It is also a member of the National Bail Fund Network, which is a coalition of groups that use donations to post pretrial and immigration-detention bail. The network also states that it advocates for “ending pretrial and immigration detention.” ⁵

Between 2018 and 2021, the Colorado Freedom Fund reported spending over $2.4 million posting bonds. ⁶  According to its tax returns, Alliance for Global Justice gave the Colorado Freedom Fund a grant of $1,440,000 in 2020. ⁷ Also, the Tides Center reported on its tax returns that it gave the Colorado Freedom Fund a grant of $350,146 in 2020. ⁸

Supported Legislation

The Colorado Freedom Fund endorses state legislation that would require arrested individuals to be given a bond hearing within 48 hours of being arrested. It states the absence of the provision is unconstitutional. ^{9 10}

The Colorado Freedom Fund also endorses Colorado’s HB23-1182 that would require courts “to make criminal court proceedings available for public viewing online if the court already has the equipment available to do so.” It also requires that the links should be “clearly” visible on the front page of the website. ¹¹

In response to the murder of George Floyd, the Colorado Freedom Fund campaigned in support of Colorado’s SB21-62/273, the Michael Marshall & Marvin Booker Justice Acts. The bill would require law enforcement “to pause and assess” when arresting someone for a so-called low-level offense and refrain from jailing persons if the arresting officers under their own discretion believes the person to not be a safety risk or at risk to re-offend. ^{12 13}

People

Colorado State Representative Elisabeth Epps (D-Denver) is the founder and executive director of the Colorado Freedom Fund. She describes herself as a progressive and abolitionist, advocating for drastically increased spending on social and welfare programs. ^{14 15}

1. “About.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/about
2. “Colorado Freedom Fund 2022 Year in Review.” Colorado Freedom Fund, December 2022. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/2022-review.
3. Hogberg, David. “Communists Funding the Resistance: The Alliance for Global Justice.” Capital Research Center. Capital Research Center, August 29, 2017. https://capitalresearch.org/article/communists-funding-the-resistance-the-alliance-for-global-justice/.
4. “About.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/about.
5. “National Bail Fund Network.” Community Justice Exchange. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory.
6. “2021 Year in Review.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/2021-review.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alliance for Global Justice. 2020. Schedule I, Part II, Line 21.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Center. 2020. Schedule I, Part II, Line 21.
9. “HB22-1067 Fact Sheet.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb22-1067-fact-sheet.
10. “HB23-1151 Fact Sheet.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb23-1151.
11. “HB23-1182 Fact Sheet.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb23-1182.
12. “2021 Year in Review.” Colorado Freedom Fund. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.coloradofreedomfund.org/2021-review.
13. “SB21-062 IS THE CHANGE COLORADO IS ASKING FOR.,” 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6098637a2253a34605925e59/t/60a0518991a61c7799adeaf7/1621119377960/Aurora%2BDocument_V3-B1.pdf
14. ^[1] “Issues.” Elisabeth Epps. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.elisabethepps.com/issues/#abolition.
15. “About Elisabeth Epps.” Elisabeth Epps. Accessed February 19, 2023. https://www.elisabethepps.com/meet-elisabeth.