A photo of fourteen people wearing jackets and scarves sitting and standing next to each other posing for a picture.
A photo of four people holding up signs saying “Free Black Mama’s” and “We Love You”.
What we do:
The National Bail Out Collective coordinates the Mama’s Day Bail Outs, where we bail out as many Black Mamas and caregivers as we can so they can spend Mother’s Day with their families where they belong!
The National Bail Out Collective also provides fellowship and employment opportunities for those we bail out in order to support their growth and create a national community of leaders who have experienced incarceration.
We also work with groups across the country to support ongoing bail reform efforts and create resources for organizers and advocates interested in ending pretrial detention.
A photo of a person with sunglasses smiling and sitting on a bench in front of a sign saying “Money Kept You In Black Love Got You Out”.
Why we do it:
Everyday tens of thousands of people languish in jail simply because they cannot afford bail. In addition to the over $9 billion wasted to incarcerate people who have been convicted of no crime, pre-trial incarceration has catastrophic impacts on families and communities, on our communities in particular. Black people are over two times more likely to be arrested and once arrested are twice as likely to be caged before trial. Our LGBTQ and gender nonconforming family are targeted and caged at even more alarming rates, and once in jail are significantly more likely to be sexually and physically abused.
A photo of a group of people sitting and standing next to each other posing for a picture.
The National Bail Out Collective is committed to getting our people free through bail outs, advocacy, and leadership development. We believe that pretrial reform must be lead by communities most impacted and not by institutional actors or corporate interests, who are entrenched and benefit from the current system. Our communities are the real experts and are best equipped to name the problems and mold the solutions. We work to make sure our people are out of cages and have the tools and resources they need to advocate for themselves!
A photo of a person with their first up, curly hair, wearing an “Essie Justice Group” grey sweater and purple mask standing in front of a maroon car with “#We Come 4 Ours” painted on the back mirror.
What we are up to:
This year we have three priorities:
Bail Outs: We bailed out Mamas and caregivers for Mother’s Day and in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are working to continue to free our people from cages, especially those that have been detained through the current uprising.
Building Political Community: We are building political community with those we bail out by providing life saving and affirming supportive services including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and stable housing as a means to build sustainable political community.
Thought Leadership: We are currently creating a report that details our work, victory and lessons.
A photo of a group of people sitting and standing next to each other posing for a picture.
History:
The National Bail Out (NBO) collective came together in recognition of the devastating harms and disproportionate impact that money bail and pretrial detention have on our communities as Black people. We believed that as members of these communities, we are best equipped to collectively assess and create solutions to address these harms.
Leadership:
A black and white photo of Tatiana Lima from the waist up, smiling looking right, curly hair, glasses, wearing a button down shirt with one arm leaning on a railing.
Tatiana Lima, Director of Systems and Strategy
Tatiana Lima is a passionate advocate for self determination and human rights. She was born in Bronx, New York but has spent most of her life in Atlanta, GA. She is a Georgia State University alumni, where she earned both an undergraduate degree in African American Studies and a juris doctorate in law. Her experience in includes work as a grassroots organizer, scholar activist, policy advocate, legal consultant, and criminal defense and transactional attorney. Her favorite things in the world are her son, Geronimo, hiking to waterfalls, and creating digital art.
Advisory Committee:
Titilayo is a policy associate and organizer with Essie Justice Group.
Devohn is the Regional Social Services Coordinator for The Center for Resilient Individuals, Families, and Communities, a member organization that provides social services infrastructure through Southerners On New Ground.
Catherine Labiran is a lead organizer with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
Ash-Lee Henderson is the Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Center.
Erica Perry is the Partnership Director at Law for Black Lives.
Marbre Stahly-Butts is the Executive Director of Law for Black Lives.
James Nelson is an organizer with Dignity and Power Now.
Shahidah Jones is a Regional Organizer Lead at Southerners on New Ground.
Ben Ndugga-Kabuyre is an organizer with Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
Lisa Clinton is the Bail Out regional Coordinator for Southerners on New Ground.
Dr. Nubian Sun is the Executive Director of Center for Resilient Individuals, Families and Communities (CRIFC).
Erika Maye is the Deputy Senior Campaigns Director for Criminal Justice at Color of Change.
Gina Clayton-Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director at Essie Justice Group.
Devren Washington is the Founding Member of the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund.
Briana Perry is a Reproductive Justice organizer with The Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter.
Acknowledgment of Past Contributors:
NBO wishes to recognize the staff, interns, consultants, and committee members who have contributed to the vitality of the organization since it was launched. These include:
Staff and Consultants:
Arissa Hall, Project Director
Delaine Powerful, Operations Coordinator
Harmony Phoenix, Intern and Resident Healer
Taylor Cambell, Communications Consultant
Advisory Committee:
Mary Hooks, Southerners on New Ground
Scott Roberts, Color of Change
Je Naé Taylor, Gilda Papoose Collective
Samantha Master, Gilda Papoose Collective
Kayla Gore, My Sistah’s House
Reuben Jones, Frontline Dads
Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, The Ordinary People’s Society
Serena Sebring, Blueprint NC
Rodreshia Russaw, The Ordinary People’s Society
Tarsha Jackson, Formerly of Texas Organizing Project (TOP)
Char Singleton, Formerly of Dream Defenders
NBO Member Organizations:
Groups We’ve Supported:
