Rapper T.I. and reality star Scrapp DeLeon partnered with a local church to raise money to bail out non-violent offenders from prisons in the Atlanta area on Easter Sunday.
When it comes to social justice, T.I. literally puts his money where his mouth is. On Resurrection Sunday, the rapper teamed up with DeLeon and the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church to raise a goal of $40,000 to bail out nonviolent offenders. By the end of the day, $120,000 was raised for the Bail Out program, which they used to bail out 16 men and seven women serving time for nonviolent crimes, reported Fox 5. Most of the people who were bailed out were first-time offenders from the DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Rockdale counties.
One of the prisoners, Anthony Gordon, said he was shocked to hear his name over the intercom. Gordon was arrested and serving a sentence for allegedly stealing a car. “Hey, pack it up, you’re going home,” Gorden remembered hearing. “I came back down, and I hit the little intercom and said, ‘Are y’all sure you’re calling me.'”
The “Bail Out” program works to help develop and reform the structure of the jail system as it pertains to bail and bonds. The program also helps connect recipients with a mentor for weekly check-ins. According to reports, some of the money will also go towards building college savings for children of former inmates.
Dr. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor at New Birth Baptist Church, praised his congregation’s donations and support for the program. “It’s almost like finally meeting the Good Samaritan—somebody who you don’t know that you didn’t see coming,” he said, according to Fox 5. “[The recipients are] appreciative to be able to press the refresh button.”
