The first 24 hours after an arrest, explained.
Someone’s husband, kid, or mother was just arrested. The family doesn’t know where they are, what first appearance means, or who to call. The person inside is about to make one recorded phone call with no idea what to say. Nobody explains any of it — and the people who do, bail bond agents and jail phone vendors, are paid by the family’s confusion.
Project Jail Cell exists to explain all of it — free, in plain words, in English and Spanish. We’re a Florida nonprofit with no owners and no equity. Nobody profits from an arrest, and the work is built by a former Alachua County booking deputy.
What we do
What Happens Now
What Happens Now is a free bilingual web page. Families reach it by scanning a QR code on the patrol car or the arrest paperwork; the person in booking reads it on a locked tablet before the free call. It explains, in plain words, what happens in the next 24 hours: where to find them, first appearance, bond, the public defender, calls and money, and what comes next.
It is information, not legal advice. It never asks what happened, and it never stores a name.
It is live in private beta for Alachua County, Florida. Get in touch to learn more.
Why a nonprofit
Nobody should profit from someone’s arrest. There are no owners and no equity to protect, and no one who benefits if the organization cuts a corner. The code is open source, and the organization’s books are public.
That is why Project Jail Cell is a nonprofit corporation, not a business that sells access to the app. Read about the mission and the lines we don’t cross.