The Bail Project - Why I support them on Threadless
THE BAIL PROJECT
"The Bail Project is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization aiming to pay bail for people who are not financially capable of doing so themselves. The Bail Project also provides pretrial services.[1] The Bail Project was founded in 2017 by Robin Steinberg. In January 2018, the organization launched its first site as a national operation. As of 2020, it has 22 locations across the United States and has helped pay bail for over 12,000 people." - extracted from Wikipedia
What the Foundation says about itself and what others say about it:
"The Bail Project combats mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system—one person at a time.
We restore the presumption of innocence, reunite families, and challenge a system that criminalizes race and poverty. We’re on a mission to end cash bail and create a more just, equitable, and humane pretrial system." - extracted from thebailproject.org
So the foundation has presented some very clear goals, and they have proven in many ways to stick true to their words and help as many people as they can, with the funds that they receive. I don't see many organizations like this which are really fighting for the rights of the poor and minority, so this was one of the first charities that I was excited to see on the list as charities that I can support via the sales of my artworks.
However, not everyone feels so positively towards the changes that The Bail Project are trying to make in their communities. The case of Marcia Johnson's Murder put a lot of the decision-making process that The Bail Project goes through into question, and there were many articles questioning who was to blame for the unfortunate outcome of the situation.Ray Hartmann of the Riverfront Times I felt really put forth a strong, honest and comprehensive assessment of the situation in the article "Don't Blame the Bail Project for Marcia Johnson's Murder " which goes in-depth, questioning all sides of the system that was involved in the case, and also questioning the reporting of the articles that painted The Bail Project as having sole or partial responsibility in the causes that led up to Marcia Johnson's Murder.
As an outsider looking in, I feel that the way they handled the situation is definitely in keeping with their mission to 'restore the presumption of innocence' as Hartmann says towards the end of the article "It is unacceptable that poor people are punished for being poor before even getting their day in court. And their plight is compounded by getting cut off from their families and jobs and lawyers during a time they're presumed to be innocent of a crime." - second last paragraph of "Don't Blame the Bail Project for Marcia Johnson's Murder
Thoughts About The Bail Project Itself:
I am really grateful that there is change happening, and people care enough to speak up about it, and invest their time and money towards helping those in need. This is definitely something I can back wholeheartedly.
There are so many parts of the world that I have not visited however the place that means the most to me, is the same place that means the most to everyone else - our home. By ending up in jail for whatever the reason, the safety net that you have come to know and love is stripped away, and that is traumatizing in itself, let alone what is going to face you in the dark. On top of that knowing that your loved ones are basically going through another kind of darkness, because you are separated from them, is a whole other side of that darkness. If the Bail Project can do something about giving those in need a chance to return back to that safety net, whether society deems them worthy or not, then I am all for it. We are all, in the end, human. I would like to believe that we can also try not to be inhumane while we are at it!
My Conclusions and Hopes for the Future:
I hope that by supporting others who are moving forward towards change, I can help others stay jail free too! There is so much social injustice in the world so for me, supporting people who want a better life and a better future for the less fortunate are the kind of people that I will keep supporting for as long as I can.If you would like to help me help them, then do consider buying artwork from my Art Collection here:
This is a collection of all my artworks that will be donating a portion of the sales to 'The Bail Project'.
And as always, may your days be magical, I will see you in the next time. Bye!
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bail_Project
- https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/dont-blame-the-bail-project-for-marcia-johnsons-murder/Content?oid=31483816
- https://bailproject.org/
- https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/woman-murdered-after-nonprofit-posts-mans-bail/
- https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/814985512
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