WHO WE ARE
The Massachusetts Bail fund is a largely volunteer run organization, with one paid employee. The Executive Director works with the Bail Administrator, interns from local MSW programs, and over 40 community volunteers perform the work of the bail fund; processing bail requests, posting and retrieving bail, and working on various advocacy projects, such as the elimination of cash bail. We also dedicate time to fundraising and educational events throughout the year.
The Massachusetts Bail fund is a largely volunteer run organization, with one paid employee. The Executive Director works with the Bail Administrator, interns from local MSW programs, and over 40 community volunteers perform the work of the bail fund; processing bail requests, posting and retrieving bail, and working on various advocacy projects, such as the elimination of cash bail. We also dedicate time to fundraising and educational events throughout the year.
BOARD
Brandy Henry, PhD, Internship Coordinator, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, with many years of experience working as a clinician in legal settings. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Columbia University School of Social Work where her research focuses on improving the health of criminalized populations.
Hope Haff, Intern Supervisor is a retired Masters Level Social Worker. During 40 years as a psychotherapist she worked in community mental health and protective services with low-income families, teens and children. Her specialties are trauma recovery, family therapy and immigrant and first generation family support. Ten years working with clients in this area in Spanish made her aware that one of the greatest obstacles to healing and social integration for poor and immigrant families are bad public and justice policy, Hope has worked with the Bail Fund and the NASW Criminal Justice SIG since 2010.
Samia Hossain is an attorney at the Federal Public Defender Office in Boston. She previously lived in New York, where she clerked for two federal judges and worked as an attorney with the Speech, Privacy & Technology Project at the national ACLU. Samia received her B.S. in International Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas and her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Muriel Kramer, LCSW, Intern Supervisor. Muriel is a Consultant for Health Management Associates working to ensure equity in healthcare across all populations and service delivery systems. Muriel is an advocate for change in criminal justice policy and understands cash bail to be unjust. Until cash bail is eliminated she will work to keep as many people as possible from serving pretrial jail sentences. Muriel is also a former Massachusetts Bail Fund intern.
Atara Rich-Shea, Executive Director, was a Staff Attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in both Worcester and Essex Counties. She defended indigent clients in both District and Superior court where she first noticed the drastic difference in the way her incarcerated clients were treated. She has worked with juvenile defendants and victims of sexual violence. She received her B.A. from Barnard College in 2001 and her J.D. from Suffolk University.
Jessica Thrall is an attorney at the Federal Public Defenders Office in Boston. Before working for the Federal Defender Office, Jessica was employed as a Staff Attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services, working primarily in the Essex County Superior Court. Her work focuses on criminal defense trial work. Jessica received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2000, graduating magna cum laude and her J.D. from the New England School of Law in 2007, graduating cum laude, while also a member of the Law Review.
Norma Wassel, is the Directory of the Social Services Advocates for the Public Defender Division at the Committee for Public Counsel Services. After receiving her MSW from Columbia University, Norma became involved in advocacy in prison health in both New York and then California. Returning to the Northeast, she then worked in community mental health in Massachusetts. Her most recent international practice has been in Eastern Europe, assisting former Soviet Republics in the development of social work practice in their countries. She is a member of the National Association of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists and a founder of the Massachusetts Bail Fund.
STAFF
Michael Cox, Bail Fund Administrator, is an advocate for LGBTQ and HIV positive people who are impacted by the criminal legal system. After serving a prison sentence he noticed that the prison system is both counter-productive and abusive. Since his release, he has worked to change that. He earned his A.S. in business management from Bunker Hill Community College and his B.A. in political science from Clark University.