The Bronx Freedom Fund

The Bronx Freedom Fund, a registered 501(c)(3), helps indigent defendants meet their bail obligations so they fight their cases from a position of strength and freedom.

The Bronx Freedom Fund is a revolutionary program designed to help poor Bronx residents avoid the costs of short jail sentences. We work with clients and families represented by The Bronx Defenders, a holistic public defender office in the South Bronx. Our fund meets the bail obligations of people facing misdemeanor charges who lack the funds to secure their freedom.

During our pilot phase, 94% of the defendants assisted by our fund returned to make all of their court appearances, a compliance rate higher than that of defendants released outright by judges. In addition, more than 50% of time, their cases were dismissed or resulted in a non-criminal disposition, and not a single person released with the help of our fund received a jail sentence. Fighting from a position of freedom matters.

This decrease in incarceration on both ends of the criminal case also results in enormous savings to taxpayers. Indeed, a dollar spent by the bail fund saves more than six dollars in incarceration costs. When a client’s case is closed, the bail is refunded into our revolving fund to help others in need.