Caregivers of Color

BAIL OUT

Cash bail separates families during a time when folks should, by law, still be presumed innocent. It punishes families for being poor, and forces caregivers to pay for their freedom while keeping the price of that freedom out of reach.

Nearly two-thirds of people in Minnesota jails are being detained pre-trial, before they’ve even been tried or convicted - and an estimated two-thirds of adults in Minnesota jails are parents with minor children. On any given day, an estimated 9,898 children under the age of 18 have a parent currently incarcerated in a county correctional facility in Minnesota.

Every child deserves a caregiver who is present in their lives, and every caregiver deserves to care for their children and loved ones with dignity. Inspired by the #FreeBlackMamas campaign  (National Bail Out), Voices for Racial Justice, Minnesota Freedom Fund, and the Minnesota Prison Doula Project are teaming up through the month of May to free caregivers of color who are jailed while waiting for trial, and reunite families for Mother’s and Father’s Day.

How to request bail support

  1. Fill out the “Community Members & Organizations” bail referral form on MFF’s website - LINKED HERE - to request bail support

  2. List Voices for Racial Justice as the referring organization:

3. List Autumn Mason as the alternate support contact: 

If you need help completing the referral form, email the bail team at referrals@mnfreedomfund.org.

F.A.Q.

We are committed to doing what we can to free individuals who are in pre-trial detention. Unfortunately, there are barriers to the support we can offer:

  • We are not able to serve individuals incarcerated in the juvenile detention system or the prison system

  • We are only able to pay bail for folks who have been deemed eligible for release by the courts; for example, there cannot be holds or warrants that would prevent release

  • We must pay bail directly, and are not able to pay bail bond agents or other third parties

    • We can serve caregivers of color being held in Ramsey, Hennepin, Anoka, Washington and Carver County jails.

    • A caregiver is defined as anyone who is regularly responsible for the care of a minor

    • Minnesota Freedom Fund’s post-release services are optional. They include court reminder calls, free rides to and from court, and other support on a by-needs basis

    • The Minnesota Prison Doula Project offers year round support for caregivers in the form of parenting education and family reentry and reunification support

    • Voices for Racial Justice is offering additional, optional post-release support in the form of care packages

  • This project will run May 1 - May 31, 2024. However, Minnesota Freedom Fund offers year-round immigration bond and pre-trial bail support. You can learn more about their work at mnfreedomfund.org

    • After submitting a referral form, you will be contacted by MFF’s bail team about the eligibility and status of your loved one’s release

    • We will try our best to free your loved one as quickly as possible - and, the bail team is available to provide support, answer questions, and post bail during working hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. We are not available over the weekend or after working hours

    • You can email the bail team at referrals@mnfreedomfund.org for more information or updates about your referral

Email the bail team at referrals@mnfreedomfund.org with any additional questions.

“The impacts of cash bail are devastating. Our families and communities suffer when our friends and family languish in jail because of money bail. Immigrants who cannot pay their bond are subject to indefinite detention. Detention also separates immigrants from their families and eases deportation. People often face enormous collateral consequences, such as losing jobs, housing, and even children, only to be found innocent. Some women, like Sandra Bland, have lost their lives. The cost to the children they nurture, the partners they love, and the communities they hold is incalculable.”
— National Bail Out

Nationally, the criminal punishment system holds almost 2 million people.

  • Over 80% of those in jail under local authority have not been convicted and are presumed innocent. 

  • 1 in 3 incarcerated people are in jail, and most have yet to be tried in court. 

  • The median bail amount for felonies is $10,000, which represents eight months’ income for a typical person detained because they can’t afford bail.

  • Black people make up 38% of the incarcerated population despite representing only 12% of U.S. residents.

The state of Minnesota reports an estimated two-thirds of adults in Minnesota jails are parents with minor children, and that most lived with at least one of their children before their arrest (MPR). From these data, on any given day, an estimated 9,898 children under the age of 18 have a parent currently incarcerated in a county correctional facility in Minnesota (Univ. of Minnesota).

Learn more about the harms of cash bail - and the movement to end it - in MFF’s Let’s Talk About the Harms of Cash Bail zine and from the National Bail Out.

Get involved

Help us spread the word about the bail out. Download and share flyers and graphics in your community!