Client Referral & Decision
The Massachusetts Bail Fund accepts referrals for people prosecuted throughout Massachusetts who are held on $500 bail or less. If a person has a bail over $500.00 but family and friends can come up with the difference, the Massachusetts Bail Fund will contribute up to $500 so that the entire bail can be posted. If you are court appointed counsel and you have a client you think would benefit from the Bail Fund please make a referral here. If you have a loved one you think would benefit from the Bail Fund, please send an email to information@massbailfund.org. A referral includes information about the person, their case, and their life and circumstances. Referrals are accepted from the 1st to the 15th of the month. All referrals submitted during that time will be addressed. The Massachusetts Bail Fund is a non-judgement bail fund, meaning we will post bail regardless of charged or history. Referrals and decisions are handled as quickly as possible - often within hours or days of receiving the completed application. We understand that spending even one day in jail can have disastrous effects on someone's life and we act accordingly. We schedule bail postings throughout the month and you will be notified as soon as possible when we are scheduled to post the bail you have requested.
Posting Bail
Once a bail posting has been scheduled, a Bail Fund volunteer goes to the jail where the person is being held during the hours when a Bail Commissioner will be present and able to process bails. This process can take between two and eight hours, depending on the timeliness of the Bail Commissioner and the Jail or Prison. The Bail Fund is often posting numerous bails at a time. The volunteer posts the bail, in cash, as well as the mandatory, nonrefundable, $40.00 fee required by the Bail Commissioner. The Bail Fund will cover this fee in addition to the up to $500 in bail funds it can provide. Where the bail fund contributes up to $500 to a bail that is higher, the Bail Fund and the person's friend or family member are co-sureties on the clients' case. This means the Bail Fund received a bail surety form (a " green sheet") and the family member or friend receives a separate sheet.
Pending Trial
While the person's ' case is ongoing their bail money is kept by the courts. If the person defaults (meaning does not come to court when required) the bail money can be forfeited, which means the Bail Fund loses that amount of money. This does not happen often; in the history of the Bail Fund, 97% of all bails are returned. If notice of forfeiture is sent to the Bail Fund, our policy is to notify the lawyer and allow the process to play out without our involvement.
Case Closed
Once a persons' case concludes, the bail money is free to be released back to the Bail Fund. A volunteer goes to the court where the case was heard in order to have the bail money released back to the Bail Fund. That money can then be used for the next person who can't afford bail.
The Massachusetts Bail Fund accepts referrals for people prosecuted throughout Massachusetts who are held on $500 bail or less. If a person has a bail over $500.00 but family and friends can come up with the difference, the Massachusetts Bail Fund will contribute up to $500 so that the entire bail can be posted. If you are court appointed counsel and you have a client you think would benefit from the Bail Fund please make a referral here. If you have a loved one you think would benefit from the Bail Fund, please send an email to information@massbailfund.org. A referral includes information about the person, their case, and their life and circumstances. Referrals are accepted from the 1st to the 15th of the month. All referrals submitted during that time will be addressed. The Massachusetts Bail Fund is a non-judgement bail fund, meaning we will post bail regardless of charged or history. Referrals and decisions are handled as quickly as possible - often within hours or days of receiving the completed application. We understand that spending even one day in jail can have disastrous effects on someone's life and we act accordingly. We schedule bail postings throughout the month and you will be notified as soon as possible when we are scheduled to post the bail you have requested.
Posting Bail
Once a bail posting has been scheduled, a Bail Fund volunteer goes to the jail where the person is being held during the hours when a Bail Commissioner will be present and able to process bails. This process can take between two and eight hours, depending on the timeliness of the Bail Commissioner and the Jail or Prison. The Bail Fund is often posting numerous bails at a time. The volunteer posts the bail, in cash, as well as the mandatory, nonrefundable, $40.00 fee required by the Bail Commissioner. The Bail Fund will cover this fee in addition to the up to $500 in bail funds it can provide. Where the bail fund contributes up to $500 to a bail that is higher, the Bail Fund and the person's friend or family member are co-sureties on the clients' case. This means the Bail Fund received a bail surety form (a " green sheet") and the family member or friend receives a separate sheet.
Pending Trial
While the person's ' case is ongoing their bail money is kept by the courts. If the person defaults (meaning does not come to court when required) the bail money can be forfeited, which means the Bail Fund loses that amount of money. This does not happen often; in the history of the Bail Fund, 97% of all bails are returned. If notice of forfeiture is sent to the Bail Fund, our policy is to notify the lawyer and allow the process to play out without our involvement.
Case Closed
Once a persons' case concludes, the bail money is free to be released back to the Bail Fund. A volunteer goes to the court where the case was heard in order to have the bail money released back to the Bail Fund. That money can then be used for the next person who can't afford bail.
Bail is a renewable resource. Once bail is returned your money can be used to post bail for the next person who needs help.