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Bail and the Pretrial System
August 13 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
Bail and the Pretrial System: What it is, How it works, and Why we need to get rid of it
Wednesday, August 13th 6pm-8pm
The HUUB, 35 Cleveland St, Orange, NJ
Each year, 500,000 are jailed in New Jersey and across the country even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime and are presumed innocent. Studies show that pretrial detention exacerbates racial and economic disparities in our legal system, negatively impacts case outcomes, causes irreparable harm to individuals, their families, and communities, and costs billions in taxpayer money. It is also not necessary to ensure return to court and does not increase public safety? So why do we do it? What does it reveal about our legal system? And what would it look like to build something better?
In this interactive class, we’ll explore the basics of how bail and pretrial detention work, the roots of our current system, and the devastating impact it has on our rights, legal system, and communities. We’ll unpack what it means to be “presumed innocent” and why that promise is so often broken. We’ll also learn about efforts to end pretrial incarceration and imagine a different future—one where people are supported, not punished, while their cases move through the courts.
Whether you’ve had direct experience with the criminal legal system or are just curious about how it works and how it can change, this class is for you. No legal knowledge required—just an open mind and a commitment to justice.
This event is in partnership with NJ Abolition Workshops.
About the Instructor:
Justine Olderman holds a joint appointment at NYU’s Marron Institute and NYU School of Law, where she leads a collaborative, long-term initiative to end pretrial detention by centering the presumption of innocence and advancing community-based alternatives. Prior to joining NYU in 2024, she spent 23 years at The Bronx Defenders, including six as Executive Director, where she expanded early defense efforts, deepened community partnerships, led major DEI initiatives, negotiated a landmark union contract, and helped secure key policy reforms and impact litigation victories. A graduate of NYU Law (Order of the Coif, magna cum laude) and the University of Michigan, she also clerked for Judge Robert J. Ward in the Southern District of New York.