The Western Mass Bailout Project (WMBP) grew from Decarcerate Western Mass, which was formed in March 2020 in response to the colliding crises of the jail and prison system in MA and the COVID-19 pandemic. We started posting bails, without judgment with respect to charges, in early 2021 with pre-existing funds from the Abolition Network, and we soon began our own fundraising in order to sustain our work.

WMBP is a non-hierarchical, all-volunteer grassroots network. We are led by abolitionist politics and believe in the importance of centering the voices and experiences of those who are currently and formerly incarcerated. Many of our members have long been involved with organizing efforts around decarceration in our region and came together to apply more concentrated pressure on local targets, support folks directly impacted by the carceral system, and build power in our area.

Incarceration is always a crisis. Before, during, and after COVID-19, jails and prisons have not and do not keep the people living inside their walls safe, nor do they make our communities safer. We work in the short-term to get people out of jails and prisons and in the long-term to reimagine our communities beyond police, prosecutors, and prisons.

Together, we can build a future without mass incarceration.