Michigan’s largest district court and bail reform advocates have settled a class-action lawsuit against bail practices in Detroit, where hundreds of defendants are jailed for no other reason than their inability to afford court-imposed bail.

The issue of bond reform is being discussed across Metro Detroit.

ANN ARBOR – Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced Monday that the Prosecutor’s Office will eliminate the use of cash bail in any case. Savit, who took office on Jan. 1, alerted staff Monday morning in a 20-page policy directive. The move has made Washtenaw County the first jurisdiction in the state to eliminate cash bail. Washington, D.C. and New Jersey have stopped seeking cash bail, as well as the city of San Francisco and counties in Vermont and Virginia. According to the directive, cash bail places poorer people at risk of losing their jobs, homes and can place serious harm on children of defendants.

DETROIT Dozens of people in the Detroit area were bailed out of jail during the coronavirus pandemic by nonprofits pushing to dismantle the cash bail system. Roughly 55 people in the area have been bailed out of jail during the pandemic by Michigan Liberation and The Bail Project, a national nonprofit with an office within the Detroit Justice Center. Under Michigan law, cash bail can be used for any criminal offense. The group was leading a coalition of organizations planning a Mothers Day bailout event for Black women. Loomis Quinlan said Michigan Liberation considers cases of bail up to $7,500, but $2,500 is the highest single amount the organization has paid so far.