We provide free reentry kits for individuals we bail out, who often leave jail with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when arrested. The kits are backpacks that contain bus passes, snacks, bottled water, hats, gloves, hand warmers, shampoo, soap, hand sanitizer, masks, condoms, menstrual products, KN95 masks, and Narcan kits provided by Tapestry Health, among other supplies.

In November 2022, we held our first reentry kit assembly event. Over fifteen volunteers gathered at a community space in Great Falls (a.k.a. Turners Falls), MA, that houses Books Through Bars, the Pioneer Valley Workers’ Center’s food distribution project, and the Finders Collective. We spent the afternoon sharing conversation, building relationships, and stuffing 24 backpacks. COVID testing kits were included thanks to our comrades at Panther Solidarity Organization (PSO) of Western Mass. In addition to the items mentioned above, the backpacks also included cash, a pen, a notebook, and a letter of support handwritten by a volunteer.