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Nominated Cause
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This is the official discussion thread for the cause Massachusetts Bail Fund. Its EIN is 82-4924766 and it's a public charity based in Boston, MA. Research more info about the cause on GuideStar and Charity Navigator.
We pay bail so low-income people can stay free while they resolve their cases, keeping families and communities stable.
“There can be no equal justice where the kind of trial a man gets depends on the amount of money he has.”
-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, 1964The Massachusetts Bail Fund pays bail in Massachusetts so that low-income people can stay free while they work towards resolving their case, allowing individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. The Massachusetts Bail Fund is committed to the harm reduction of freeing individuals serving pre-trial sentences, and to abolishing pre-trial detention and supervision in the long-term.
Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Bail leads to longer incarcerations times, lost jobs, lost housing, lost custody of children and devastated families. The Massachusetts Bail Fund provides bail for people who cannot afford to pay.
The Massachusetts Bail Fund posts bail up to $500 so that low-income people aren’t stuck in jail awaiting trial. From 2013 to 2020, the Massachusetts Bail Fund posted 3,757 bails at a cost of $3,390,489 throughout Massachusetts. Of closed cases, 44% were dismissed entirely. In 2020 alone, 43% of cases were dismissed at trial and 93% of bail money returned to the fund.
I’ve been a recurring monthly supporter of the Bail Fund since a colleague at work ran a fundraiser years ago. When reviewing my annual gift match I realized I could do more, getting the word out nd nominating them here.
Also read Charitocracy's blog post about Massachusetts Bail Fund!