Forsyth Court Support
An abolitionist coalition supporting people through their experiences with the carceral system.
This site details current efforts of this coalition and how to get more involved!
Safety information
We provide jail support for all who call our hotline from jail, and we offer support and safety coordination to protest organizers. Please share this information!
Always have a buddy, memorize each other's information
Leave the area if an LRAD or other dangerous weapon is deployed
Always know your closest escape route in any crowd
Do not stay at an event if you are hungry/tired/unwell
Wear sturdy shoes, shoes often come off when people are rushing to leave
Call To Action
These current are opportunities to assist with our efforts, updated regularly to reflect changing circumstances.
Social Media
@POIwinston
@ForCourtSupport
@ForsythBail
@HJNWinstonSalem
Donate
Supply donations: message Forsyth Court Support
Urgent housing needs: Venmo @HousingJusticeNow
The Coalition
The coalition organizes together with a common goal and are currently building infrastructure of community care and support to counter the harmful effects of the carceral system. You can connect with each group below to get involved more deeply.
Forsyth County Community Bail Fund
FCCBF uses community donations to bail out people incarcerated pre-trial who are unable to afford their bond.
The two greatest current priorities are to help release people at greatest risk from COVID-19, and to support people arrested during this movement for Black Lives.
Prisoner Outreach
The Prisoner Outreach Initiative believes in the human rights of incarcerated people and works to develop solidarity that crosses iron bars. We facilitate letter writing in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, and campaign for the safety of people in detention, especially now during COVID-19.
Court Watch
Court watch is a HJN-led volunteer program to provide transparency and increase safety in our legal system. Starting June 22, we have begun to observe small claims court eviction proceedings, and will expand in the future. Court watch supports efforts of Siembra NC, Housing Justice Now, and Legal Aid NC.
We need volunteers for this daily!
Jail Support
The jail support team is a group of people from a wide variety of local organizations working to help people get released quickly and safely after being arrested in Forsyth County. This means facilitating bond payment, documenting arrests, providing post-arrest care and support.
OUR PARTNERS
While these groups are not focused specifically on abolition, our services developed through the needs of front-line community organizers.
These groups always can use more assistance, so don't feel shy about volunteering!
Housing Justice Now
Housing Justice Now is a housing rights advocacy group based in Winston-Salem, NC. We're working for a world where housing is a human right, where tenants are treated with dignity, and all housing units are fit for human habitation.
Housing Justice Now has responded to COVID-19 by advocating and agitating for safer conditions in public housing, and pressuring local law enforcement and the legal system to follow the laws surrounding eviction moratoriums.
Siembra NC
Somos un grupo inmigrante luchando para defender a nuestras comunidades de la migra, la policia, de patrones abusivos, para escuelas sanas para nuestros niños y para que podemos vivir vidas con dignidad, al lado de otras comunidades en Carolina del Norte.Siembra NC is an organization of Latinx people defending our rights & building power “with papers and without papers” with member leadership teams in Alamance, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Orange and Randolph counties, established in 2017.
Resources
We have built our court support infrastructure by learning from a variety of groups, and the tools below can help you understand the process as well as supplement your own work.
Participatory Defense: a community organizing model that we draw inspiration from.NC Fines & Fees Coalition: a collection of resources for setting up community programs to limit carceral harms.Charlotte Uprising: a coalition currently protecting and advocating for people arrested in the recent Charlotte demonstrationsComrades in Chattanooga launch court watch with a great explanation of why they are doing it.