SACRAMENTO, CA — In a new report released this month, Essie Justice Group unveiled The Hidden Heart of Reentry, a first-of-its-kind study that sheds light on the central but often invisible role that Black women with incarcerated loved ones play in supporting individuals reentering society after incarceration.
The report, produced in partnership with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, draws on nearly a decade of work by Essie Justice Group’s members and includes direct accounts from women who have led California’s Black Mama’s Bail Out campaigns over the past nine years.
“This report really underscores the ways that women with incarcerated loved ones are the invisible leaders at the heart of care and reentry,” said Tanasia Newman, Senior Communications Manager for Essie Justice Group, in an interview with the Vanguard this week. “It unveils how women are the unseen reentry system of this country—and how their expertise as caregivers is necessary for successful and compassionate reentry.”
Essie’s annual Black Mama’s Bail Out initiative, led in partnership with the National Bail Out Collective (NBO), has helped return more than 20 Black mothers to their families, posting more than $2.7 million in bail funds since the campaign’s inception. The group intentionally avoids bail bondsmen and instead pays the full amount in cashier’s checks—an approach meant to challenge what they describe as a predatory and profit-driven system.
“We don’t use bail bondsmen,” Newman explained. “When we are posting the bail for any of the moms, we’re posting the bail in full… We’re really trying to dismantle that system, and our bailouts even underscore the ways that it’s predatory.”
The report outlines five major findings that point to the critical importance of system-impacted women in reentry success. Among them: people leaving incarceration benefit most when they are supported by individuals with direct lived experience; court support from Essie members—including transportation, letters to judges, and emotional support—improves case outcomes; and community care is most effective when rooted in strong partnerships with local service providers.
But the report also highlights serious barriers. Bail amounts in California are five times the national average, with the typical Black Mama’s Bail Out requiring more than $130,000—an amount that is far beyond the means of most individuals in pretrial detention.
“Under the Humphrey decision, bail is not supposed to be set at an amount someone can’t afford,” Newman said, referring to the 2021 California Supreme Court ruling that prohibits courts from imposing unaffordable bail as a condition of release. “But what we’re seeing in practice is the exact opposite.”
Newman described one recent case in which a Black mother was bailed out from the Lynwood Women’s Jail in Los Angeles after a grueling 16-hour process. Despite having a cashier’s check in hand and all required information completed, Essie organizers were forced to wait all day and into the early hours of the next morning for the woman’s release.
“There were so many inefficiencies,” said Newman, who was on-site during the process. “The staff said they had to verify the check, then said someone was at lunch—several times. We’d check in every hour, and the answer was always the same: ‘we’re working on it.’ At one point, we were told to call a number taped to a window, which sent us through multiple lines before ultimately transferring us back to where we started.”
According to Newman, this kind of delay is not an isolated experience. “We’ve been doing bailouts for nine years, and every year we’ve faced the same obstacles. Whether it’s Contra Costa, Alameda, or LA County—this is a systemic issue across California,” she said.
The consequences of pretrial incarceration are far-reaching, particularly for women. As the report notes, 61% of incarcerated women in jail are held pretrial without a conviction, and nearly 80% of women in jail are mothers. Even a short stay in jail can lead to job loss, eviction, disrupted treatment plans, or separation from children.
Shaundrika Price, a mother bailed out by Essie in 2022, described the deep trauma she witnessed in jail and the transformative impact of community care once she was released. “Every person I got to know at the women’s jail had mental health needs and trauma like I did,” Price said. “Locking people up, locking women and Black mamas up and ripping them from their families is not the answer. The answer is giving our people a chance to get better in their communities and with families.”
Now a student and advocate, Price is part of the next generation of leadership at Essie, helping other women navigate the court system, access therapy, and secure stable housing—just as she was supported.
Newman emphasized that Essie’s reentry support does not end with a release. “Our members are welcoming women into a lifelong community,” she said. That includes direct services like court accompaniment, housing navigation, wellness checks, and access to mental health care. These supports are not supplemental—they are central to ensuring long-term success for women leaving jail.
In one example from the report, a mother bailed out in 2022 had her probation terminated a full year early by a judge who credited her connection to Essie and the support she received. The judge cited her access to housing, mental health resources, and a consistent community as indicators of her progress.
“That’s what real reentry success looks like,” said Newman. “When someone has the support they need to get stable, reconnect with their family, and start to thrive.”
Essie’s report calls for greater investment in women-led reentry systems, arguing that these grassroots models are not only more compassionate but also more effective. The report includes testimonials from public defenders and service providers who praise the group’s coordination and leadership.
“Jail is violent and destabilizing,” said Alameda County Chief Public Defender Brendon Woods. “No one should be behind bars simply because they can’t afford bail.”
According to The Hidden Heart of Reentry, the current system not only criminalizes poverty but relies on the unpaid labor of women to fill institutional gaps. Women with incarcerated loved ones—many of whom have navigated jails, courtrooms, and bureaucracies on behalf of others—are already experts in reentry.
“They are already doing this work,” Newman said. “What we need is for the state to recognize that and support them in leading.”
The report makes clear that reentry is not a moment—it’s a process. And for that process to be successful, especially for Black mothers and caregivers, the leadership of system-impacted women must be centered. The findings call on lawmakers to reform bail practices, fund community-based reentry efforts, and remove the systemic barriers that continue to destabilize families.
As Essie Justice Group continues its work across California, the organization hopes this report will serve as a rallying cry for a more just, humane approach to criminal justice.
“Even just a few hours in jail can cost someone their job, housing, treatment—or their children,” the report warns.
For Newman, the message is simple: “The women leading this work are already doing what the system has failed to do. It’s time we start investing in them.”
