Press Contact: Jeremy Cherson, Director of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(LOS ANGELES, CA) – The Bail Project’s groundbreaking Real Bail Reform campaign has been awarded the Silver prize in the Human & Civil Rights category of the Fifth Annual Anthem Awards, which celebrate purpose- and mission-driven work worldwide.
Across Texas and Michigan – two flashpoints in the national debate over pretrial justice – Real Bail Reform gave real Americans a platform to speak for themselves. The campaign’s title reflects what true reform means: a fairer, more effective system based on safety, not wealth. By featuring people’s own words and faces on billboards, videos, and social media, the campaign reclaimed the narrative from politics and returned it to the people living its consequences.
“People already understand the harms of cash bail – they’re living it,” said David Gaspar, Chief Executive Officer of The Bail Project. “We needed to hand them the mic. Real Bail Reform gave real Americans the chance to define justice in their own words – and what they want is a safer, fairer, more effective pretrial system where decisions aren’t based on money.”
Each interaction began with a simple invitation: “If you could say anything about bail reform on a billboard, what would it be?” More than 1,000 people responded. Their voices – parents, workers, students, and people of faith – became the heart of the campaign, illuminating how cash bail shapes lives and communities. The campaign reached millions, sparking national engagement and influencing policy conversations that ultimately contributed to the amendment of Texas SJR5 to include critical due process protections.
The campaign highlighted how cash bail impacts millions: nearly half of adults in the United States have a close family member who’s been incarcerated, and over 60% of people in jail today are there only because they can’t afford bail. Their words exposed what’s at stake in America’s ongoing debate about fairness and justice.
The campaign’s creative direction, led by The Bail Project’s former Director of the Creative and Marketing Department Shannon Soper, emphasized the power of storytelling as a tool for justice – centering humanity and lived experience in a national conversation too often dominated by politics and fear.
Watch and share the campaign at RealBailReform.com and on The Bail Project’s social media.
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About The Bail Project. The Bail Project is a national nonprofit working to transform America’s pretrial system by eliminating reliance on cash bail and proving that a more humane, equitable, and effective pretrial system is possible. We provide free bail assistance and pretrial support to thousands of low-income people each year while advancing policy change at the local, state, and national levels. Since our founding, The Bail Project has supported over 40,000 people through bail assistance, supportive services, and innovative pilot programs. This includes roughly 35,000 people who received free bail assistance and returned to court 92% of the time. Together, our work demonstrates that a fairer, safer justice system is possible – one where neither wealth nor access to support determines freedom. Learn more at bailproject.org.
About The Anthem Awards. Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season’s partners and sponsors include AARP, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, The Bloom, the Social Innovation Summit and TheFutureParty. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
About The Webby Awards. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising; Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Podcasts; Games and AI, Metaverse & Virtual. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, LinkedIn, Meltwater, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Vox Media, Deadline, AdAge, TechCrunch, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hustle, Morning Brew, Passionfruit, Embedded, Link in Bio, Creator Economy NYC, Creator Spotlight, AIGA, Vote Save America, and The Publish Press.
Thank you for your valuable attention. The urgency and complication of the cash bail crisis requires meaningful participation to create real change – change that is only achieved through the support of readers like you. Please consider sharing this piece with your networks and donating what you can today to sustain our vital work.
