The Bail Project – Detroit serves people incarcerated at the Wayne County Jail and the Washtenaw County Jail in the Wayne County District Court, Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court, Washtenaw County District Court, and the Washtenaw County 22nd Judicial Circuit Court systems.
Our clients in Detroit, where 16 percent of residents live in poverty, face a cold and impersonal bail regime. Arraignments happen over video conferencing, and judges do not typically ask about a person’s ability to pay bail. Statewide, the governor’s office has convened a taskforce to study the implementation of pretrial incarceration reform, but it appears that lawmakers want to increase investments in electronic monitoring. At the same time officials contemplate how to reduce the number of people incarcerated pretrial, Wayne County (where Detroit is located) is moving forward with construction of a new $533 million jail. We’re working with the Detroit Justice Center to navigate this political landscape and connect with clients who need our services.
Over half the people incarcerated in Wayne County’s local jails are being detained pretrial. That’s over 1,000 people.
The new jail in Wayne County is being financed with more than $150 million from Rock Ventures, the largest employer in Detroit and top investor in the city’s gentrification.
Need help paying bail in Detroit? Please fill out the form below and a Bail Disruptor will get back to you soon.