About Us
Bending the Bars Foundation is a Richmond, VA based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2020 and formally incorporated in November 2024. We are dedicated to prison reform, criminal and social justice, the reduction of mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline along with promoting community improvement. Our efforts ensure the development of pathways for healing, release, knowledge, awareness, stability, and improvement throughout communities most impacted by carceral harm.
Our Mission
Bending the Bars Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to criminal justice and prison reform by supporting incarcerated individuals, victims, and at-risk youth through early release advocacy, reentry assistance, restorative healing, community education, and youth prevention programs that dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and promote equity, accountability, and transformation.
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Our Vision
To create a just and compassionate society where every individual impacted by incarceration and violence is empowered with opportunity, release, restored with dignity, and supported through healing and transformation