Blue Ridge Community Bail Fund

Virginia still relies heavily on a system of money bail. Because bail amounts are often out of reach, many people who are arrested but not convicted of a crime are either forced to go through for-profit bail bondsmen (a practice that is illegal in almost every other country) or sit in jail as they await trial. 

A bail fund does not solve the deep-rooted problems of the criminal legal system, but it can help to ensure that those who have not been convicted of a crime do not sit in jail for months as they await trial simply because they lack the resources needed to post bail. 

Because there is currently no revolving criminal bail fund in the area, we are setting one up to help those being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, the Middle River Regional Jail, the Central Virginia Regional Jail, as well as those facing charges in Nelson County, Staunton City, and the greater Shenandoah Valley. Before we can begin to take tax-deductible charitable donations, we need to file as a Virginia non-stock corporation and as a non-profit with the IRS. These filings will cost $775 in total. Any money we raise above this amount will go directly to bailing people out of Virginia jails. Unfortunately, no donations will be tax deductible at this time.

Please help us raise this money so that we can begin bailing out those in the area as soon as possible. Any and all donations will make a difference.