Spotlight: The Bail Project

On any given night in America, there are nearly half a million people locked up in jails simply because they can’t afford bail.

The Bail Project pays bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence.⠀

Given my recent experience with the law, I’ve seen first-hand how pretrial detention is a key driver of mass incarceration.

Had I not had the means to pay for bail for my traffic violation, I would have been put in jail until I faced trial. I remember reading in Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, about a woman who was in prison for 3 bounced checks, two of which were at Toys R Us around Christmas time. At the time, I couldn’t fathom how a situation could escalate so quickly. Now, I can see it clearly. Once you’re in the system, it’s near impossible to get out.

We cannot end mass incarceration without meaningful bail reform. The Bail Project selects cities and towns based on local need, size of pretrial populations, and racial disparities. They work with local partners to identify people in pretrial and detention, or at risk of it, and pay their bail and provide support upon release. Their model leverages the fact that bail money is returned when people make their court appearances, allowing them to maintain a revolving bail fund and maximize impact.⠀

Every dime received through their website goes directly toward paying bail for their clients. Because bail is returned at the end of a case, donations can be recycled and reused to pay bail two to three times per year, maximizing the impact of every dollar.

Robin Steinberg, the organization’s founder and leader, is a shero. Watch her incredibly powerful TED talk to learn more: