The United States faces a severe housing shortage, compounded by affordability challenges, rising costs, population shifts, and a legacy of vacant properties. Pre-approved housing plans—standardized architectural designs vetted in advance for compliance with zoning and building codes—offer a powerful tool to accelerate construction, reduce costs, and support equitable redevelopment.Read More
In the aftermath of the 2020 uprisings sparked by the killing of George Floyd, communities across the United States grappled with calls to reimagine public safety, confront police violence, and question the role of the carceral system. Amid this national reckoning, many cities began exploring alternatives to traditional policing, focusing on approaches that prioritize healing,...Read More
Our legal services attorneys have noticed that many of our clients face similar issues in Michigan housing law. We created this handy one-pager that lays out common issues people might face, the MI laws pertaining to them, and potential remedies to the issues.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
While Clean Slate is a positive step forward, we believe that this bill package can still be expanded further to benefit Michigan’s most over-criminalized populations.Read More
DJC was proud to partner with Essie Justice Group on the first national survey of women with incarcerated loved ones. The new report, Because She’s Powerful: The Political Isolation and Resistance of Women with Incarcerated Loved Ones, asks and answers the question, what is mass incarceration doing to millions of women who have loved ones...Read More
Wayne County has announced plans to build a $533-million dollar complex, including a new jail. Our fact sheet includes information on the jail project, data on the harms jails cause to individuals, families, and communities, and ideas for possible alternatives.Read More
DJC and our partners at The Bail Project joined forces to address State Rep. LaGrand regarding our concerns with his proposed bail reform legislation. As the two organizations spearheading the first large-scale revolving bail fund in Michigan, we are uniquely positioned to understand this issue from our work on the ground.Read More
