This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are Kimberly Brewer and Jeff Hall, who are involved in the Orange County Bail Bond Justice Project. The project is trying to change unjust bail practices in Orange County.

“We got started in January last year and we really had two goals,” said Brewer, the executive director. “One was to try to change unjust bail practices in Orange County and the second was to try to provide assistance to people who are being impacted by that system.”

In order to learn more, Brewer and Hall have been in court almost every day.

“As somebody who has been through the system and gone through that,” said Hall, “you get an a sense for how impactful this is and it’s impactful from the very first moment.”

Research shows that the first 48 to 72 hours are when the most serious effects occur.

“That’s when you lose jobs,” said Hall. “That’s when you lose transportation. That’s when you have the possibility of your kids being taken away from you. And all of that happens when you have to stay in jail and you have to stay in jail because bail is set.”