The National Bail Out Collective announced its fifth annual Black Mama’s Bail Outs initiative earlier today. This is also the organization’s second bailout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBO’s initiative is to “free as many Black mamas and caregivers as possible so that they can come home” and enjoy Mother’s Day with their loved ones.
The National Bail Out Collective is described as “a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support [Black] folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.”
The collective is made up of “people who have been impacted by cages – either by being in them [themselves] or witnessing [their] families and loved ones be caged.”
This initiative is lead by Black mothers who previously incarcerated. Since its inception in 2017, NBO has used donations made to the movements to free over 500 Black mothers from prison, jail, and immigrant detention centers through the work of local advocacy groups all over the country.
NBO also works to provide mothers with resources and social support services, including housing and transportation assistance, fellowship programs, and employment opportunities after they are released.