Twenty-three nonviolent offenders spent Easter at home thanks to T.I.'s successful efforts to bail them out of jail just hours before the annual holiday.
Per Fox 5 D.C., seven women and 17 men were released from DeKalb County Jail in Georgia early Sunday morning. The "Motivation" rapper partnered with Love & Hip Hop star Scrapp Deleon and the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, to orchestrate their release.
"It's almost like finally meeting the good Samaritan – somebody who you don't know that you didn't see coming," senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant said about the just-released individuals. "They're appreciative to be able to press the refresh button."
The act was orchestrated through the church's "Bail Out" initiative, which began the first day of Lent on March 6. The original goal was to raise $40,000 so New Birth could bail inmates out of prison in time for Easter. The news site reports donations soared to $120,000 in just 40 days.
The Bail Out program also pledges to pair beneficiaries with a mentor to conduct weekly check-ins. Additionally, some of the funds raised will be allocated to start a college fund for children of the former convicts.
"It's like a whole new clean slate," said Tyron Pollard, one of the men released Sunday. "I was doing drugs before I got locked up … but I don't want to do nothing but do right and strive to be a model citizen for my kids."
Just last month, the self-proclaimed "King of the South" was recognized by the Georgia Senate for his philanthropy and dedication to his community, as Blavity previously reported.
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