Salem-based Voices Against Injustice Defends Award To Bail Fund

SALEM, MA — The Salem-based non-profit Voices Against Injustice human rights group is defending its support of the Massachusetts Bail Fund — while allowing that legitimate discussion can be had about that support — after the Bail Fund came under criticism for helping post bail for those who were then accused of additional crimes before trial.

Voices Against Injustice awarded the Bail Fund its 2020 Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice when it was providing $500 toward bail for anyone awaiting a trial who could not afford it regardless of the crime. With additional funding this summer, WBUR-FM reported the Bail Fund help post the $15,000 bail of a convicted sex offender who was then accused of a new rape while out on bail, and has also posted large bonds for those charged with attempted murder, robbery and rape.

"While the Massachusetts Bail Fund has changed some of their practices since we selected them as our award recipient, their core values have not wavered," Voices Against Injustice said in a statement to Patch. "They are and have always been committed to fighting the gross inequality and injustice inherent in the cash bail system. For this reason, we stand by the Massachusetts Bail Fund and the work they do.

"However, we struggled in recent months to digest news about cases related to the Massachusetts Bail Fund that drew media attention and intense scrutiny, triggering strong emotional responses."

Voices Against Injustice allowed: "When the Massachusetts Bail Fund provides bail for a person who then commits a violent crime, we are left to grapple with the complexity of the issues involved. Every crime includes a victim, subsequently causing many to experience pain. Pain that could have been avoided. Pain that should have been avoided.

"But it the Massachusetts Bail Fund at fault? Or does the fault lie within the system?"

Those are among the questions Voices Against Injustice is looking to tackle at the panel discussion it said it will have in November as it continues small conversations among its members and supporters on the issue.

The Bail Fund states on its website it believes detaining anyone prior to a guilty verdict or plea at trial is inherently harmful and racist.

"Pretrial detention keeps people in cages for months or years, causing them to lose their housing, lose their jobs, lose their children, and potentially lose their lives," the Bail Fund says under a mission statement entitled "Free Them All."

"And throughout the Commonwealth, judges and prosecutors impose higher bails on Black and Brown people than white people for the same categories of offenses," the Bail Fund asserts.

"As must have been the case for many in 1692, we each decide where we will stand and where we must draw the line," Voices Against Injustice said. "We recognize the unspeakable pain that victims and their families experience. And at the same time, we recognize the truth at the core of Mass Bail Fund's position and actions: mass incarceration and the cash bail system are manifestations of systemic racism.

"As always, history will be the judge as to how we, as a society, met this moment. As individuals and as a community, we have the opportunity to challenge ingrained thoughts and practices that may unwittingly perpetuate injustice. We know that we cannot simultaneously herald champions of justice and shy away from complicated situations. Instead, we must foster the dialogue necessary to achieve a greater understanding."