Rationale for Bail Project Spokane Nomination
The Bail Project Spokane is a small startup program that launched in December 2018. Staff of the Bail Project Spokane have lived experience with the criminal justice system and are representative of BIPOC communities, as is the site's leadership. Members of the Bail Project Boad and Advisory Council are also representative of BIPOC communities. The Bail Project Spokane intentionally serves BIPOC clients at rates that exceed the ethnic disproportionality found in Spokane jails. The Bail Project Spokane addresses inequities created by the cash bail system, which disproportionately impacts BIPOC communities in Spokane. Many individuals in Spokane are held in jail, pretrial, due to a bond they cannot afford to pay which is commonly less than $500. While some individuals can afford to pay their bond, others are forced to sit in jail for weeks and months before their court dates due to inability to pay. Often these individuals experience mental and behavioral health needs, substance use disorder, homelessness and poverty. Many do not receive the proper medical and mental health care they require, and they become sicker while in jail awaiting trial. This system puts people at risk of losing their job, home, health and even their children due to forced removal from parental custody. The Bail Project Spokane intervenes by paying the cash bond, getting people out of jail, and supporting them to make court dates and navigate the complex criminal justice system. In Spokane, current court policy and procedures make it more difficult for individuals to be successful compared to other cities across the nation. The Bail Project Spokane works with the court system to correct these challenges. In partnership with American Indian Community Center, a local community based organization, The Bail Project Spokane supports clients with the comprehensive wrap around services needed to be successful in community, such as housing, employment, health insurance enrollment, food assistance, behavioral health services, and SUD treatment services. Clients are provided transportation and cell phones to address common barriers that keep people from returning to court. These strategies together make up a new supportive service array for individuals experiencing pretrial detention in Spokane and are creating positive outcomes in an otherwise inequitable system.