OUR PROCESS
A request for bail assistance can be made by completing the online application found on this website, or by completing and mailing in a hard-copy application (currently available only to those being held in the Wyandotte County pretrial detention center). We consider requests from Kansas City-area residents who are being detained within the five-county area of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas, and Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties in Missouri; those who have been charged with a non-violent misdemeanor; and who have bail amounts of $5,000.00 or less. For a complete list of criteria, visit our How to Apply page. Our goal is to pay the bail and provide freedom before the trial begins. After a case is resolved, the bail amount that we paid is returned to our fund by the court, and used to help others in need.
Black men receive bail amounts 35% higher than white men charged with the same crime and who have similar criminal histories. Latinx men get bail amounts 19% higher.
Source: Pretrial Justice Institute
kccbf is not a bail bond agent.
We do not require a co-signer or ask for repayment. We do expect our freed clients to stay in touch with their assigned staff member or volunteer, attend their scheduled court appearances, and comply with any court orders. Once the court case is closed, the money that we paid for bail is returned to us and used to pay bail for other defendants.