Terms of Use and Membership
Last updated: October 21, 2026
By using the CUFF HERO website, submitting a form, applying for membership, requesting assistance, or submitting a complaint, you agree to follow the applicable terms below. If you do not agree, do not use the relevant service.
1. About CUFF HERO and its services
CUFF HERO provides member-oriented support information and programs, including member-supported bail assistance, app-based bail requests, possible interest-free loans, arrest and detention complaint submissions, and local-jail detention safety information. Program availability and eligibility may vary. Information on this website is not a promise that assistance will be available or approved.
2. Membership and account numbers
- Some CUFF HERO features and services require membership and a unique member account number. A member account number is used to identify a member for applicable services; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or funding.
- Membership registration may request full legal name, mailing address, age, date of birth, telephone number, and the last four digits of a driver's license, along with emergency-contact details.
- Keep your member account number private and contact CUFF HERO if you believe it has been lost or misused. Do not submit another registration to try to replace an existing account number.
- A person submitting a request on a member's behalf should be the member's named emergency contact or otherwise authorized to do so. CUFF HERO may request information needed to verify identity, authority, or a request.
- Contacting CUFF HERO through the general contact form does not require a member account number.
- Timing eligibility for bail assistance: A member may request bail-support assistance or receive funding only for an arrest or detention that occurs after CUFF HERO has issued the member account number. Arrests or detentions that occurred before account-number issuance are not eligible, even if the person later becomes a member.
3. Emergency contacts and communications
CUFF HERO recommends that members name an emergency contact who may communicate with CUFF HERO if the member is detained and cannot contact the organization. Members should understand that jail telephone calls may be recorded or monitored and should avoid discussing confidential case details over jail phone lines whenever possible. Naming an emergency contact does not authorize that person to act beyond the permission provided by the member or applicable law.
4. Member-supported bail funding
- Requests must contain the required information and the arrest must be verified before a request is posted.
- The arrest or detention must occur after the member account number is issued. Earlier arrests or detentions are not eligible for a bail-support request or funding.
- Requests are reviewed twice daily. The request list is posted to the website daily, and each post is intended to remain viewable for seven days before removal. Posting schedules may be affected by technical issues, verification, or operational needs.
- A maximum of 50 requests may appear on the request list at one time.
- Each member may submit one request per arrest, regardless of the number of charges arising from that arrest, and may submit a bail-support request only once in any 12-month period.
- Eligible members help decide the amount that may be awarded from CUFF HERO's organization fund, within the funding range posted by CUFF HERO. Funding depends on verification, member decisions, applicable rules, and available funds. No amount or award is guaranteed.
- Organization-funded payments are not paid directly to the applicant or their emergency contact. Approved funds are sent directly to the bail company or jail for the intended bail-related purpose, where accepted and permitted.
- Some listings may provide only information or links that allow members or other supporters to donate independently. Independent donations are separate from CUFF HERO's organization fund and do not guarantee that bond will be paid.
- Applicants and contacts must provide accurate information and must not submit fraudulent, misleading, or unauthorized requests.
5. App-based requests and interest-free loans
Members may be directed to download the CUFF HERO app to submit applicable requests. The current proposed loan program may offer interest-free loans for bail-related costs up to $1,500, subject to review and approval. Proposed repayment terms are 6–12 months, with a member-selected recurring billing date from the 1st through the 25th of each month.
If a loan is offered, the member must review and separately agree to the final loan terms, repayment schedule, and any required pre-authorized bank-account billing authorization before funds are issued. No loan is guaranteed. The final loan agreement and electronic payment authorization must be provided and reviewed before this program is launched.
6. Cuff Hero program
- To qualify for the Cuff Hero program, a member must have a doctor-documented chronic illness that is life-threatening or potentially life-threatening.
- The program does not directly bail out members and does not pay bail directly. CUFF HERO may send messages to other members to appeal for funds to assist with bail.
- The program is limited to qualifying members detained for nonviolent and non-sexually-related offenses.
- No payment, fundraising result, or amount of assistance is guaranteed.
7. Arrest and detention complaints
- Complaint submissions should be truthful and based on the submitter's knowledge or experience. Submitting a complaint does not mean CUFF HERO has independently verified its claims.
- Members should provide an email address so CUFF HERO can notify them when the submission has been added to the system. An email notice confirms receipt into the system, not a finding that the allegations are true.
- CUFF HERO intends to organize complaint reports by the week and month of the incident. Publication, access, and timing may depend on review and technical availability.
- Before a complaint is submitted or published, CUFF HERO intends to remove personal identifiers, sensitive case details, and information about other people that the submitter does not have permission to share. This review does not guarantee that every identifying detail will be detected, so submitters should avoid including unnecessary sensitive information.
- Reports may be kept private or considered for public posting according to the choices and review process provided by CUFF HERO. CUFF HERO may decline, edit, delay, or remove submissions that are inappropriate, unlawful, unsupported, duplicative, or present privacy or safety concerns.
- Complaint reports are intended to help raise awareness of reported arrest and detention patterns and conditions in particular areas or facilities. They are not legal findings, and readers should not treat allegations as proof of guilt or misconduct.
8. Private color-coded incident records
- The optional color-coded incident record is intended solely for the member’s personal information and retention when privacy or possible retribution is a concern.
- Color-coded records will not be published in the CUFF HERO Complaint Library or made public.
- Members may request a copy of their color-coded document through CUFF HERO. The process for securely storing and retrieving copies must be implemented before this feature is offered live.
- Members should keep their personal color-code key separate from the record. This format cannot guarantee that others will be unable to access or interpret the document.
9. Privacy and personal information
CUFF HERO seeks to protect member information and share it only with the member's permission, except where sharing is necessary to provide a requested service, verify eligibility or a request, secure a benefit, respond to a lawful requirement, or protect safety and rights. CUFF HERO does not sell members' personal information. Information may be shared with service providers only when reasonably necessary to operate or deliver services, subject to appropriate safeguards.
Information submitted in forms may include personal, contact, membership, arrest, or complaint details. Access should be limited to authorized personnel and information should be stored securely. Do not submit passwords, financial account credentials, unnecessary medical details, or confidential legal strategy through general website forms.
10. Local jail safety information
CUFF HERO may publish general safety information about detention in local jails. This information is educational only, is not legal or medical advice, and may not describe every facility or person's experience. Facility procedures and conditions vary and can change. Information such as delays after bond is posted, restraint practices, temperature conditions, medical request timing, special-diet timing, and commissary access should be understood as potential issues reported or described for some facilities, not universal guarantees.
Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should seek immediate help from facility staff or emergency services as appropriate. Do not rely on website information instead of qualified legal, medical, or emergency assistance. CUFF HERO's local-jail information is not intended to describe prison conditions unless a page expressly says otherwise.
11. Acceptable use
You agree not to misuse CUFF HERO's website or services, impersonate another person, submit knowingly false information, harass or threaten others, post unlawful material, attempt unauthorized access, interfere with website operations, or use another person's information without permission. CUFF HERO may restrict access or remove content when reasonably necessary to protect users, the organization, or the integrity of its services.
11. No legal, medical, or financial advice
Website content is general information, not legal, medical, tax, or financial advice. CUFF HERO does not guarantee a legal outcome, release from detention, bond payment, loan approval, fundraising result, or particular service outcome. Seek advice from a qualified professional about your individual circumstances.
12. Availability and changes
Services, eligibility rules, funding ranges, forms, and website content may change or become temporarily unavailable. CUFF HERO may update these terms and will post a revised date when changes are made. Continued use after updated terms are posted indicates acceptance of the revised terms to the extent permitted by law.
13. Contact
For questions about these terms, membership, or a service, use the Contact CUFF HERO form on the website. A member account number is not required to send a general contact message.