Who We Are
Welcome to Faith & Works Bailout, an initiative of the Faith & Works Collective. Since our inception, we have proudly bailed out 20 community members, echoing a rich history of Black Liberation. Our movement, reflected in #FreeBlackMamas, aims to dismantle mass criminalization and modern bondage.
Our vision is deeply rooted in the past, honoring the resilience of our ancestors who, even in the depths of slavery, pooled their resources to secure each other’s freedom. Today, we continue this legacy by supporting Black individuals ensnared in the criminal punishment system.
The prison industrial complex is a system of institutions that punish and incarcerate people, often unfairly based on race and income. We are working to end the use of money bail, which keeps people in jail simply because they can’t afford to pay. This system disproportionately affects Black and low-income communities.
Money bail allows for-profit bail bond companies, part of a $2 billion industry, to profit from people’s freedom. These companies can track individuals across state lines and pressure them and their families into paying non-refundable fees, even if they are innocent in the eyes of the law.
By abolishing pretrial detention and money bail, we aim to create a fairer and more just system that doesn’t punish people for their poverty. Join us in our efforts to end this harmful practice and bring about real change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Women’s incarceration has grown at twice the pace of men’s incarceration in recent decades and has disproportionately been located in local jails.
- 60% of women in jails under local control have not been convicted of a crime and are awaiting trial.
- 80% of women in jails are mothers, and most of them are the primary caretakers of their children.
- Overall, Black women are markedly overrepresented in prisons and jails.
- Incarcerated women are three times as likely as men to be sexually victimized by prison or jail staff.
- Give incarcerated and detained people an opportunity to reunite with their families.
- Build community through gatherings that highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices in our communities.
- Make a strategic intervention to expose the cruelty of the system.
- Support migration as a human right for asylum seekers.
- End the wasting of money to cage our people. In addition to the over $9 billion wasted to incarcerate folks who have been convicted of no crime, pretrial incarceration has catastrophic impacts on families and communities.
- Support efforts to prevent deportation.
- End the suffering of our people. When Black people are taken from our communities, we all suffer. Now more than ever, we must break open the conversation about how we can continue to dismantle this system that destroys our humanity and breaks up our families.
- End mass criminalization. We know that cages do not keep our communities safe and fail to address the needs of our people. Jails often cause more harm to people who are already vulnerable. Our communities are made safer when our people have access to supportive services, not by being policed and thrown into cages. In our efforts to bail people out of jail, it is also important that we offer some supportive services to provide stability and give our people a chance to thrive.
#FreeBlackMamas reflects a growing movement to end mass criminalization and modern bondage. Our vision is rooted in the history of Black Liberation, where our enslaved ancestors used their collective resources to purchase each other’s freedom before slavery was abolished. Since Mother’s Day 2017, we have been supporting Black people entangled in the criminal punishment system, highlighting the need for bail reform, elevating the human costs of incarceration and immigrant detention on our communities and families, and demanding community action.
We are intentional about being inclusive and centering on the most impacted and at the margins. This is why we have chosen to exclusively focus on bailing out Black people and are intentional about centering queer, trans, femme, and Black immigrant folks.
The funds we raise are used to bail Black Mamas out of jail and provide them with the supportive services necessary for a successful transition back into the community. These services include childcare, grief counseling, groceries, transportation, housing assistance, and legal counsel. Additionally, we are committed to the ongoing work of building sustainable infrastructures that address our community’s long-term needs.
How can you give?
From now through May 12, Faith & Works will reunite as many Black Mamas and caregivers with their families as possible so they can be home safely in time for Mother’s Day. To do that, Faith & Works is working to raise $100,000, and we are currently halfway to our goal. To help make a difference in the lives of Black Mamas this Mother’s Day, Click Here to Donate
Quote – Angela Davis’s powerful quote, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept,”
Now that you’ve contributed to bringing home Black Mamas, here are several ways you can further get involved:
- Follow Us on Social Media: Like and follow Faith & Works on Facebook and Instagram as well as on X at faithandworksbailout. Share our posts related to #FreeBlackMamas or #FreeBlackMamasbham with your network to raise awareness.
- Refer Someone for Bailout: If you know of a Black Mama in Jefferson County who needs to be bailed out of jail to reunite with her children, please let us know. Your referral could make a life-changing difference.
- Set a Fundraising Goal: Consider setting a personal fundraising goal of $500 for our #FreeBlackMamas campaign. Every contribution counts towards bringing more mothers home.
- Volunteer for Phone Banking: Join us in our efforts to raise funds by volunteering for phone banking sessions. Your time and effort can help bring more Black Mamas home this Mother’s Day.
Thank you for your support and commitment to our cause. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of Black Mamas and their families.
Women’s incarceration has grown at twice the pace of men’s incarceration in recent decades and has disproportionately been located in local jails.
- 60% of women in jails under local control have not been convicted of a crime and are awaiting trial.
- 80% of women in jails are mothers, and most of them are the primary caretakers of their children.
- Overall, Black women are markedly overrepresented in prisons and jails.
- Incarcerated women are three times as likely as men to be sexually victimized by prison or jail staff.
- The National Bail Out Days give incarcerated people an opportunity to go home to their families, highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices on our communities and support the base-building of local organizations working with communities on the frontlines of mass incarceration.
- Our people need care and not cages. The bail out allow us to make sure folks can come home where they can receive the care they need.
- We will continue to elevate a narrative about the human and financial costs of money bail and emphasize its impact on Black families and the Black community.
- In specific jurisdictions we will use the action to support ongoing reforms and pressure decision makers
Example: Organizers in California are working to pass a statewide bill that would enact bail reform.
Example: Organizers in Texas are working with local judges to change the bail schedule and enact individualized assessment.
Example: Organizers in Atlanta passed a city ordinance limiting the use of money bail.
- In 2014, there were 1,053 deaths in local jails, an 8% increase from 2013 and deaths that may have been prevented if given proper medical attention outside of jail.
- From 2003 to 2016 there were 177 deaths in immigrant detention.
- One jail bed cost $60 per day, and can reach up to $200 in some areas.
- It costs $134 for every adult in immigrant detention and $319 for family detention.
- We spend $14 billion a year to keep people who can’t afford bail in pretrial detention. $2.6 billion a year is spent on immigrant detention.
- A needs assessment system whereby a community-accountable independent agency determines what a person’s needs are and provides a plan to meet those needs prior to releasing a person from pretrial detention.
- We have opportunities at nearly every stage in the arrest and pretrial process to avoid the unjust and costly consequences of trapping people behind bars who have not been convicted of a crime, including alternatives to ensure appearance at trial, such as automated phone calls and text messages.
- Robust community services for healthcare