At Detroit Justice Center (DJC), we know that cash bail can upend a person’s life if they’re not able to pay. It perpetuates inequality, criminalizes poverty, and undermines the presumption of innocence. So, what exactly is cash bail, and what misconceptions surround it? Let's delve into the nuances.Read More

This year’s Artist in Residence will be Cherise Morris, whose proposal “Abolition is an Ancestral Wisdom,” wowed the judges with its innovation, impact, and artistic merit. Morris’ selection marks the first time a writer has been selected for this residency.Read More

Last month, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act, which is an innovative way to address homelessness across the nation. The Detroit Justice Center endorses this bill as we champion eliminating economic barriers that keep our residents from garnering safe and secure affordable housing.“The Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program...Read More

The Detroit Justice Center is thrilled to share that we’ve recently received a grant from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). This funding is a significant boost to our intricate model that focuses on utilizing the law to create economic opportunities for communities which have been damaged by the systems we currently have in place.Read More

Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced the Detroit Justice Center (DJC) as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. DJC received an award of $2 Million. (...) DJC believes that this donation signifies a genuine commitment to racial and economic...Read More

How can technologists and scientists engage communities in a spirit of partnership, without extractive practices? How can community organizations work with researchers in ways that benefit their communities and expand their capacity, rather than burdening their staff? The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy's newest publication, the Community Partnerships Playbook, has some answers.Read More

Today we mourn the loss of William “Bill” Goodman, an attorney known for his work on human rights and civil liberties and an avid supporter and colleague of DJC.Read More

DJC’s Metro Detroit Restorative Justice Network (MDRJN) concluded its second community RJ facilitator training on Saturday, October 28th! We welcomed 11 incredible participants aged 22 to 65 and representing community block clubs, sexual violence crisis response teams, K-12 schools, community centers, and solution-minded community members!Read More

What does abolition look like as a creative practice? Ruth Wilson Gilmore reminds us that “abolition is about presence… it is building life-affirming institutions.” In this light, frameworks of defunding the police and getting rid of prisons can explain only a part of the abolitionist process. Abolition sees prisons in hierarchies, punitiveness, and opportunism that...Read More