ALC launched its Court Watch program in January 2020 to keep courts accountable through data collection and public reporting. The group’s debut Docket Report, Cash Bail, Arbitrary Detention and Apartheid in Allegheny County Jail (2020) examines municipal court docket information from May 11, 2020 through June 8, 2020, analyzing trends in arrests and bail decisions, highlighting the impact of police and judicial discretion. The vast racial disparities described in the report lay bare an undeniable system of racial apartheid.

Date of Publication: December 1, 2020

Lead Authors / Contributors: Autumn Redcross, ALC Court Watch Volunteers; design by William Lukas