Wilmington Bail Fund

This fund was created to serve as a community bail fund for Wilmington, Delaware. Our original fund was $25,000. That fund has since been used to post bail for several members of the Wilmington community. Our funding needs continue to grow as word of our bail fund spreads.

How we began

The Wilmington Freedom Alliance (a 501(c)3) began during the national uprising following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. 

On May 30th, 2020, a protest was organized by Black Lives Matter Wilmington and Food Not Bombs Wilmington. Participants in the protest took bold action to challenge the Wilmington Police. To help support those protesters, Food Not Bombs Wilmington put out a call for donations to a bail fund. Although they initially only asked for $1000, the bail fund garnered huge attention from activists around the country. The fund grew to around $25,000, and FNB activists realized they had a unique opportunity to create a permanent bail fund for the Wilmington community. The Wilmington Freedom Alliance was formed to manage that fund. 

Our goal is to continue this fight until we have achieved full abolition of police and prisons. Providing bail support for community members who are at the most risk of police violence, is a small, but necessary, part of that struggle.

Why are bail funds necessary?

For people awaiting trial, the ability to pay bail and be released from pretrial detention can have a meaningful impact on the outcome of their case. According to a 2017 study, pretrial detention leads to a 13% increase in being convicted, a 41% increase in the amount of non-bail court fees owed and a 42% increase in the length of the incarceration sentence. The accused are often forced to turn to predatory bail bondsmen who charge non-refundable premiums, and force the accused, along with their friends and family to give up substantial privacy, along with many property rights. Ultimately draining more resources from already cash strapped communities. Unlike bondsmen, the WFA is a rolling community bond fund, dedicated to removing the accused who happen to be indigent from pretrial incarceration.

According to a report on the state of the criminal justice system in the state of Delaware “African American men, women, and children represent a disproportionately high number of individuals detained prior to trial, representing 56 percent of the pretrial detention population despite comprising only 22 percent of the state population.” Even spending 24 hours in jail can worsen long term outcomes, but the same report found that over 65% of those detained wait at least 30 days until trial, and 3% wait over a year. Sitting in pretrial detention effects employment, caregiving, bills, along with the emotional and physical wellbeing of the accused. 

This all contributes to the cycles of poverty and criminality in lower income neighborhoods in Wilmington. Our goal is to help break that cycle.

Who we support

While it is not possible to post bail for every person who needs it, WFA prioritizes people whose communities have been particularly impacted by police violence. Specifically; BIPOC people, women, undocumented people, children, LGBTQIA+ people, sex workers, pregnant people, the elderly, victims of domestic violence, and victims of police violence. The nature of the alleged crime will not be considered when making a decision.