The Tap In Center

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Tap In Center is a unique collaborative project to provide free legal assistance and connect justice-involved individuals with local support services. The Tap In Center offers an approachable environment for clients with warrants and other legal issues to quickly get back in good standing with the courts without fear of arrest or paying a fine. Justice-involved individuals often face many barriers when accessing the courts such as lack of transportation, legal fees, and conflicts with taking time off work and child care schedules to appear. The Tap In Center seeks to mitigate these barriers. Since the Tap In Center started in September 2020, they have served 780 individuals and facilitated 593 bench warrant recalls at the felony, misdemeanor, and ordinance violation levels. Over 85% of participants who had a warrant recalled have not returned to jail during this two-year period. The Tap In Center is directly keeping people out of pre-trial detention and providing relief for families and communities, particularly communities of color, and injecting much-needed humanity into the justice system.