a Softer Landing Fund: Let's Get Free

a Softer Landing Fund is Let’s Get Free’s Guaranteed Basic Income, Welcome Home Love <3 and Commissary Fund. Each is setup to support people currently and formerly incarcerated with a goal of providing guaranteed basic income to every woman coming home after a life sentence in Pennsylvania.

The fund has three components:

Guaranteed Basic Income for one year for newly released people in our network, focusing on women with life sentences. Currently we are supporting newly released folks with $1,000 the first month and $500 each month after for a year. This costs $6,500 per person. We have one person signed up now and are expecting some commuted lifers home soon. To support 5 people for a year would cost $32,500.

Welcome Home Love <3 for people coming home from prison. In 2023 we gave 10 welcome packets to Za’kiyah House which included a $25 bus card & $50 cash card. This was super helpful! One month of support costs $750. We want to give 10 packets a month to Z’akiyah house. Also, we often provide support to people coming home by purchasing bus passes, menstrual products, etc. With additional funds we would be able to do more of this. This would cost $12,000.

Commissary Fund for people in prison with emphasis on women and trans prisoners with long sentences. We would like to give 30 incarcerated people $600 this year. This would cost $18,000.

We need to raise $62,500 to bring this to life again. We also accept donations through Venmo, Cashapp and Paypal. Please note “Softer Landing” and we will keep you updated on our fundraising progress.

We distributed $46k in our pilot year. Responses from some recipients of the fund below. As for our incarcerated participants, overwhelming in their surveys they mentioned how receiving them money made them feel cared for and the most popular item bought was shoes.

“Emotionally, it gave me some relief of worrying about how I was going to make it. After spending more than 3 and a half decades behind bars, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the price of living in today's society. I went to my doctor because of my anxiety, worrying about how I was going to do things the right way.” – participant is 66 years old and served 35 years

“When I first received the email telling me about this program, I just sat there staring out into space because I couldn't believe I was getting money. I mean, who sends inmates who have that type of sentence anything and not know them? I'm so used of the public thinking that I'm such a horrible criminal, that being nice to me is unfathomable. I had to read that letter over ten times before it actually sunk in. I spent the money on sick calls, phone cards, shoes, sweat suits, and of course a few fundraisers. and yes some commissary” – participant is currently serving a life sentence

Graphic created by artwork from Nicole Hollingsworth.