Why Is Asheville's Buncombe County Jail Full of People?

This week, we're sharing an interview with Julie and Jeremy, two anarchists and participants in the Asheville Community Bail Fund. We speak about the US system of pre-trial incarceration aka bail and bond, the work of the bail fund locally, the overcrowding of the Buncombe County Jail here in Asheville, the ICE holds happening in the local jail, and how local policy choices regarding criminalization are being compounded by recent and new North Carolina legislation. Even if you aren't in Asheville or North Carolina, it's likely that much of this conversation will be pertinent to goings-ons in your neck of the woods (though hopefully not). Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) If you're a regular listener to The Final Straw Radio, have a passion for enriching the anarchist media environment, feel like your values align with what you've heard on the show and want a chance to help out and hone your skills, we're always looking for help. If you've thought of getting a podcast or other media project going but aren't sure how to start, we can be a good jumping off point. Feel free to reach out via our emails Links https://avlcommunitybail.carrd.co/ https://www.patreon.com/Ashevillecommunitybailfund National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org Immigration Resources info: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/es/directorio-para-inmigracion Emancipate NC: https://emancipatenc.org/ Lecture on Crime Data: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/blogs/338-counting-crime-a-lecture-on-the-politics-of-crime-data-and-its-uses NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: https://nccadp.org/ North Carolina Laws discussed NC SB-153 – Border Protection Act (pending): https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/legislation/sb-153-border-protection-act-anti-immigrant/ NC HB-10: https://www.ncjustice.org/nc-justice-center-statement-on-house-bill-10-veto-override/ NC HB-318: https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-senate-passes-criminal-alien-enforcement-act/ Iryna's Law (HB-307) https://southerncoalition.org/justice-system-reform/reframing-public-safety/public-safety-solutions-we-deserve-better-than-this/ https://lincnc.org/when-tragedy-becomes-a-banner-reflections-on-irynas-law-and-the-politics-of-grief/ Related Past interviews The Prairieland Case: https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/category/prairieland-case/ NSPM-7 conversation: https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2025/09/28/the-implications-of-trumps-war-on-antifa-with-moira-meltzer-cohen/ Asheville politics and police repression https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2024/05/09/clean-for-who-safe-for-who-asheville-business-improvement-district/ https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2023/03/19/felony-littering-trials-under-way-in-asheville/ https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2021/08/01/ashevilles-policing-crisis-with-ursula-wren-of-asheville-free-press/ Public surveillance by ALPR systems like Flock https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2025/04/13/pushing-back-on-flock-cameras-with-kate-bertash/ https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2025/11/02/southerners-against-surveillance-systems-infrastructure-with-ed/ . ... . .. Featured Track: TFSR by The Willows Whisper