In order to build a just city, we must begin by prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable, unlike what we’re currently seeing in Detroit. We cannot continue to allow billionaires to profit from the misery of incarcerating our communities while we wait for policymakers to address issues like housing and food insecurity.Read More

Last week, The LOVE Building celebrated its grand opening with events from Tuesday through Friday. As a tenant partner in the LOVE Building, we were thrilled to participate in the festivities. Our brilliant Community Legal Advocate, Lauren Thomas, coordinated events for our office.Read More

DJC’s Metro Detroit Restorative Justice Network (MDRJN) concluded its third Community Circle Keeper Training on Saturday, July 14th! Over five weeks, 14 participants from various fields, including peer mental health crisis response, abolition, public education, legal system, higher education, counseling, and community organizing, gathered in a circle to learn about restorative justice. Read More

This month marks the 45th anniversary of the first Black August. We're using this time to uplift the work of our former legal director, who fought against mass incarceration for decades.Read More

At the Detroit Justice Center, we often use the phrase Just Cities to talk about an envisioned future where every life is valued equally. Our discussions always include affordable and safe housing for all. Without stable housing, we are at our most vulnerable, which is why we insist on housing as a human right. One...Read More

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as the month draws to a close, we wanted to highlight the work of our Senior Program Manager, Sheba Rogers, who is currently undertaking a mental health ecosystem scan of Detroit. We asked Sheba about what she’s been working on, and about the state of mental health care...Read More

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

Over the past 6 years, the Detroit Justice Center has held onto our foundational belief that we must remedy the impacts of mass incarceration to create truly just cities. With our three-pronged approach of defense, offense, and dreaming, DJC has offered direct services to community members, helped change legislation for wider imapct, and shifted narratives...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