Our Purpose

Hear from DJC’s Founder, Amanda Alexander, and other team members on the common goals of DJC and the the Kresge Foundation’s Detroit program and why this collaboration is so important to push Detroit forward.

DJC is founded on the belief that we cannot build cities that work for everyone without remedying the impacts of mass incarceration. This mission requires innovative ways of community lawyering—rooted in defensive and offensive fights for racial justice and economic equity—that build up our poorest residents through direct services and novel approaches to land use, housing, and employment. We use a three-pronged approach—what we call “defense, offense, and dreaming”—to serve individual clients, build power, and catalyze systemic solutions.

What’s Happening at DJC

Mental Health Awareness Month Interview With Sheba Rogers

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as the month draws to a close, we...
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Demystifying Cash Bail: Understanding What It Is and It Is Not

At Detroit Justice Center (DJC), we know that cash bail can upend a person’s life...
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Detroit Justice Center Announces 2024 Artist in Residence

This year’s Artist in Residence will be Cherise Morris, whose proposal “Abolition is an Ancestral...
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Celebrate Six Years of DJC!

Over the past 6 years, the Detroit Justice Center has held onto our foundational belief...
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Detroit Justice Center Endorses Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act

Last month, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act, which...
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