How One Woman’s Video Led to $40k in Bailouts and Support

Our supporters aren’t just donors; they’re a diverse community of passionate people coming together for the same cause—ending cash bail and creating a more just and equitable pretrial system for all. They bring unique experiences and perspectives that influence their support. Some of The Bail Project’s supporters have been incarcerated themselves, directly impacted by the criminal justice system, or have friends or family members who have. 

For Bail Project Freedom Funder Melody, the injustice of the cash bail system inspired her to take action. Already a Bail Project monthly donor, Melody recently felt motivated to make an even more significant impact. When she discovered Project For Awesome, a project by the organization Foundation to Decrease World Suck, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to make the impact she’d hoped. One long weekend and a video submission later, Melody’s video was chosen by Project for Awesome, securing a grant of over $37,000 for The Bail Project! 

We connected with Melody to hear a little more about her passion for The Bail Project:

• MC: After (very belatedly) being awakened in 2020 to the way the criminal justice system in its current form reinforces and upholds racism in the U.S., I started seeking out more education and ways to be actively anti-racist. It was a combination of having just read the book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and then seeing Lil Nas X’s call to support The Bail Project as part of his “Industry Baby” music video that led me to become a monthly donor. When I had the time and energy to make a video this year that had a chance of winning a grant for a nonprofit organization, The Bail Project was the only one on my mind.

• MC: I love that The Bail Project provides direct support and effectively advocates for lasting reform. Knowing that donations help people return to their lives today and help move the country toward a more truly just future makes it all the more rewarding.

• MC: There’s absolutely the human side of the issue that people make assumptions about—that if someone’s being held in jail, it’s unquestionably their fault, or they deserve it, or it somehow makes the community safer. In reality, there are myriad reasons someone may end up there, and very few legitimately warrant pretrial detention. Then there’s the big picture, the generational ripple effects of excessive detention. But I think the most simple and practical point may also be the most persuasive: The Bail Project has shown that cash bail is not more effective for its supposedly intended purpose than the community release with support model.

• MC: It’s so easy to feel daunted and drained by the demands on our individual finances. This year has shown me that getting creative and using whatever skills and resources are at hand is a great way to multiply your impact. Allocating a portion of your income from a side hustle, planning a little fundraiser event, requesting donations instead of gifts for a celebration or holiday, petitioning your workplace to support your efforts—there are so many ways we can amplify The Bail Project’s work. Go beyond simply social media and prove your passion for the cause. And, of course, just talking about it, challenging the assumptions those around us have about incarceration and the cash bail system, goes a long way. 

Thank you, Melody, for using your talent and creativity to impact positive change.

Our supporters, like Melody, have helped more than 30,000 presumed innocent people out of pretrial incarceration. Because of the support of the growing Bail Project community, we can provide all of our clients with the pretrial support services they need to navigate an already complicated court system. 

We invite you to join us in building a more just, equitable, and humane pretrial system. Thousands of people like Melody are transforming the pretrial justice system and making a positive impact on the lives of low-income individuals trapped by unaffordable cash bail. Visit our Freedom Funders page today to learn more!