Why is Harris County Using Taxpayer Funds on a 501(c)(3) Which Bails out Inmates?

Beginning in 2021, Harris County officials began payments to the Bail Project, and payments have not ceased for the last 3 years. The Bail Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by Robin Steinberg, aiming to combat the injustices associated with the cash bail system in the United States. The organization's primary goal is to pay bail for individuals who cannot afford it themselves, thereby preventing unnecessary pretrial detention due to financial constraints. The Bail Project operates across numerous cities in the U.S., where it has local branches. Surprisingly, the Bail Project has no offices in the state of Texas according to it’s website. The organization uses a model where it posts bail for individuals, often focusing on those charged with non-violent offenses, and then uses the data from these cases to advocate for broader policy changes aimed at eliminating cash bail.

The organization faced scrutiny and legal action in instances where individuals released on bail they provided were involved in subsequent crimes. For example, after a high-profile case in Las Vegas where a released individual committed a serious crime, The Bail Project shut down its operations there. This led to discussions about the implications of their model, with critics arguing it might contribute to public safety risks, while supporters highlight the broader systemic issues it aims to address

According to the Bail Project 990, CEO Robin Steinberg brings home a hefty salary of $528,600 + $12k bonus.

Steinberg received a significant pay raise from the year prior

Following legal and public backlash in certain instances, The Bail Project has occasionally reassessed its operations, closing branches like in Las Vegas

Starting in August of 2021, Harris County began payments to the bail project and have not ceased for the last 3 years. You can click the link here and type in “the bail project” to see all the payments made to the organization which appears to be over 6-figures of constituent’s taxpaying funds.

What is curious about the organization, in April of 2024, the Bail Project wrote a not so flattering article on District Attorney Kim Ogg titled, "Houston DA Leaves Tattered Bail Reform Legacy” The article seems to have coincided with payments made to the organization. One may even go as far as wondering if this article might have been written on the behest of county officials?

While our county’s District Attorney Office and Constables are grossly underpaid, County officials have deemed that taxpayer funds in the high 6-figures should be allocated towards an organization which bails out inmates, as opposed to prioritizing Harris County Constituents safety.