Our Voices

VICE News: Over 100 People Were Released From Jail in Mass Bail Out Effort

In New York City, there are hundreds of women and juveniles in jail who haven’t been convicted of a crime. Most of them are imprisoned at Rikers Island and are only there because they can’t afford their bail.

In an effort to directly address the injustices of cash bail, RFK Human Rights set out to conduct one of the largest mass bailouts in history. Led by Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the organization bailed out as many women and juveniles as they could with indifference to the alleged offense.

VICE News visited Rikers Island to see how the Mass Bail Out campaign has been going, and how law enforcement and top prosecutors are reacting to this novel approach.

New year, new us. Same mission.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is rebranding to honor the legacy of our founder and hero, Mrs. Ethel Skakel Kennedy. From now on, we will proudly be known as the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center

While our name is changing, our mission and work remain the same. We will continue to fight injustice, advance human rights, and hold governments accountable around the world in 2026 and beyond.