Lemuel After losing a job as a short order cook, Lucien was unable to pay his rent and was evicted from his apartment in North Carolina. He then took a bus North, having been told that it would be easier to find work in Philadelphia. At the time I met him, he was working as an occasional day laborer, walking to specific sites around the city to find work. When he makes enough money, either from that or from panhandling, he sleeps in a rooming house for men; as he put it, $20 would get him a bed for a night. Some of this day labor is sanctioned by the City; other opportunities are found through word of mouth and by showing up at a specific site early in the morning. 

After meeting with Lemuel on several occasions, he finally shared with me that his problems stemmed from having been incarcerated. He was initially arrested for disorderly conduct, did not have the money for bail, and spent more than 3 months in jail. While he was incarcerated, the federal government discontinued his disability checks. Upon release, he found that he had lost his job and been evicted from his apartment - losing everything.

Sadly, his story is not uncommon. In our country, thousands of poor people are locked up each year, sometimes for long periods of time, because they have been given bail amounts they could not pay. Many of the initial charges are for such things as littering or driving without a license. While wealthy defendants can buy their freedom by writing a check, less affluent individuals are stuck in jail for low level crimes. 

Hand sewn art quilt; @ 4 x 4.5 ft