The Barrier Relief Fund is a fund specifically for clients of the Detroit Justice Center who are facing obstacles in paying court fines and fees. Michigan’s police disproportionately target poor, Black drivers, and our municipal courts saddle them with excessive fines and fees to rake in revenue for courts and their city governments. Most drivers can’t afford these costs and, prior to DJC, had nowhere to turn to for support.
Our staff attorneys are fierce advocates for our clients: They address legal barriers–like traffic tickets, court fines and fees, criminal records, and warrants–that threaten our most vulnerable residents with the risk of incarceration.
However, this isn’t always enough to help our clients move forward with their lives. For example, while we’ll often reduce court obligations from $4,000 to $400, the reality is that the remaining debts may as well still be $4,000 since clients cannot afford either amount.
Your support of the Barrier Relief Fund–a partnership between DJC and Michigan Liberation–will directly address a wide range of fines/fees and end cycles of debt and incarceration for DJC’s clients.
DJC’s team is always looking upstream to understand what systemic changes need to happen in order to remedy problems for hundreds of thousands of people, not just individual clients.
We played a critical role in Michigan adopting new legislation in 2021 to reduce incarceration and the criminalization of poverty. This includes ending the practice of suspending someone’s driver’s license for nonpayment of fines/fees which, until that point, had been the third most common reason for arrests that led to jail.
DJC continues to advocate for ending court fees and costs entirely, including late fees, reinstatement fees, and clearance fees; eliminating all current outstanding traffic enforcement debt since it has been assessed by an unjust system; and more.
Another form of debt impacting our clients relates to child support. While payments are supposed to be put on hold when a person is incarcerated, often parents are not made aware of this fact. We help returning citizens reduce this debt, and we advocate to decriminalize inability to pay and to change the court rule that prohibits retroactive modification of child support for incarcerated parents.
DJC works in deep coalition with partners like Michigan Liberation to win these kinds of transformative changes. Michigan Liberation is building a powerful base of directly impacted residents across Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties to ensure that those who have been incarcerated and their loved ones play a leading role in how we transform the system.
As we build a bold movement fighting for true community safety and the complete overhaul of prisons and policing, your support of the Barrier Relief Fund will help us meet the immediate needs of our clients.
You can learn more about how the criminal legal system engages in “highway robbery” of marginalized drivers, the wide range of support provided by DJC’s Legal Services & Advocacy Practice, and the work of our close partner, Michigan Liberation.
From the Love Building Website:
The closest bus stop to The Love Building is located at Grand River and Hanock, accessible via the #3 Grand River Bus route. This convenient transportation option facilitates easy access to the venue for attendees relying on public transit.
For those arriving by car or bicycle, The Love Building offers various parking options to accommodate different needs.
Bike Parking: Cyclists can utilize bike parking available along Grand River Ave and on both the North and South sides of the building.
Car Parking: Limited visitor car parking is accessible in the lots off Grand River Avenue and 15th Streets. The venue offers thirty designated parking spots onsite, strategically located near the entrance for convenient access. Among these spots are three designated accessible parking spots to accommodate individuals with mobility disabilities. Additionally, two EV plugin parking spots are available, catering to electric vehicle owners. Moreover, 25 standard parking spots are provided to ensure ample parking capacity for event attendees.
Please help us maintain a space that is as scent-free as possible for members of our community who become sick when exposed to chemical fragrances. If you are coming to work at the LOVE Building or to attend an event, please avoid using shampoo, cologne, detergent, fabric softener, etc. that is scented. Read more from Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha about why going scent-free is an act of love for disabled communities.
Please wear a mask when visiting the LOVE Building.
We are modeling an approach to accessibility that is rooted in love and hospitality, while countering the pervasive ableism of our world. We work to make our space usable and welcoming to people with disabilities and others who are often excluded from social justice organizing.
All entrances are barrier-free with automatic door operators.
All 5 floors of the LOVE Building are accessible by elevator.
Tactile maps are available for each floorplan.
All cleaning products and hand soaps are fragrance-free.