Black Mamas Bail Out Action

When our Black mamas are locked in cages, our families and communities suffer. Until we abolish bail and mass incarceration, we have to free ourselves.

SONG is a member of the National Bail Out, a formation of over a dozen community based organizations that is responsible for the Black Mama’s Bail Out along with subsequent bail out actions and strategies to end money bail and pretrial detention.

Over the past 3 years, Black Mama’s Bail Out Action has aimed to protect our families, to intervene on this malicious money bail system that locks up our loved ones, and to contribute to the long legacy of breaking down barriers from our loved ones. Black Mama Bail Out Action is to honor and revive the traditions and legacy of our ancestors. Through honoring and reviving this tradition, we will be centering our collective decisions and actively supporting our Black mothers and inevitably our foundation as a community. We know Black mothers, broadly defined, hold and nurture our communities. We also know when Black mothers are kidnapped by the criminal legal system, our communities suffer.

This action highlights the crisis of money bail and pretrial detention. Money bail and pretrial detention destabilizes our families and creates long-lasting ripple effects. Ending money bail means taking our people off the auction block by eliminating the structures that keep loved ones caged. From shackling folks with electronic monitors, investing in risk assessment over community-based solutions and favoring profits over people, we must knock down all the structures that target, criminalize and cage people.

This year, our approach to regional bail outs will be different and will include a new application and site selection process. We hope you answer the call to join us as we expand our campaign work and continue to free Black mamas and caregivers from cages.