Tzedek DC

@tzedekdc.bsky.social

486 Followers 6 Following

We combine free legal help, systemic advocacy, and community outreach to empower DC residents facing debt-related crises. Reach us at (202) 274-7386!

A graphic saying happy disability pride month dated July 2026. The Tzedek DC logo is in the bottom left corner. In the bottom right corner, there is a graphic of a masc presenting and a femme presenting adult holding hands with a little girl in a wheelchair.
Blue Tzedek DC logo with the "Tzedek" symbol and justice scales inside and the tagline, "Legal Help for People in Debt" in grey letters above the text "Happy Juneteenth!" Below is the Juneteenth Flag in red, white, and blue with the star in the middle next to the African Liberation Flag in red, black, and green.
Pride flag colors in vertical stripes on the background with the text "Keep striving for justice this Pride Month and every month!" and the Tzedek DC logo below.
View from behind of a person testifying at a DC State Board of Education hearing with three people seated beside them, and one person seated behind them
Logo for the Social Security Administration. Text reading: "If you receive a suspicious call: Hang up. Don't believe them. Don't trust your caller ID. Don't give them money. Don't give them personal information. Report the scam at oig.ssa.gov. ssa.gov/scam."
A group of 16 individuals of ages, genders, and race smiling while standing in front of a sign that reads "Industrial Bank"
Professionally dressed individuals engage in conversation in a spacious, well-lit conference room with modern lighting and wooden tables.
Blue graphic displaying the world wide web globe with a shield over it with a WiFi icon. Text is displayed to the right reading "Safer Internet Day."
Colorful graphic in red, yellow, and green reading "Celebrating Black History Month. Feb 1 - Mar 1. Black history yesterday, today, tomorrow." The graphic also displays the Tzedek DC logo and a fist raised in power.
Contains logo for the Federal Trade Commission and text that reads: "Identity theft can happen to anyone. If it happens to you, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. #IDTheftWeek January 26-30, 2026. ftc.gov/IDTheftWeek"
DC's bail laws have not led to an increase in crime. The most recent data from DC's Pretrial Services Agency shows that 98.8 percent of community members released home pending over a nine-month period successfully returned to their homes, jobs, and families without any violent incident. The vast majority remained completely arrest-free (90 percent) and attended all scheduled court appearances (89 percent).
Jail stays are not only traumatizing and dehumanizing, but dangerous; facilities are frequently overcrowded and understaffed, and most people in jail will witness violence or become victims themselves. DC Jail is no less dangerous, with a death rate 3.5 times the national average. Cash bail threatens to increase the jail population and aggravate already-unsafe conditions--risking the lives of those who cannot afford to buy their freedom.
A cash bail system would invite bail bond companies to set up shop in the District. These companies have a documented history of being rife with abusive practices. Family members--primarily women of color--enter into predatory contracts to buy their loved ones' freedom, while the companies themselves often escape liability if an individual misses their court date. Bail bond companies collect $1.4 billion in nonrefundable fees annually, profits that primarily benefit the large insurance corporations who dominate the industry.
The consequences of pretrial detention are very real, and they hit poorer residents who cannot afford bail the hardest. Incarceration forces people to miss work, and multiple studies have shown that pretrial detention leads to job loss and lower employment rates. Lost jobs can lead to lost housing. Parents who are incarcerated pre-trial may even lose custody of their children. Even one day in jail can have a profound effect on a person's life and future, while making our communities less safe.
Incarcerating someone at the DC jail can cost $241 a day; the price of maintaining the current jail population of 2,173 costs DC residents approximately $523,693 every day and over $191 million every year. Introducing cash bail risks running these estimates even higher. This is money DC residents could use to fund schools, mental health providers, facilities, and infrastructure.