Rep. Bell Introduces First Major Legislation to Reform Pretrial Detention and Expand Community-Based Alternatives
Washington, D.C.— Today, Representative Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) introduced his first major legislative package in Congress: the Justice Forward Agenda. This bold, two-part initiative aims to transform the criminal legal system by shifting away from punishment and incarceration and toward community-based alternatives that promote prevention, stability, and public safety.
The agenda consists of two core bills — the Community First Act and the DART Act (Diversion and Rehabilitation Transformation Act). Together, they confront a broken status quo that incarcerates hundreds of thousands of Americans before trial and neglects the root causes of crime—such as addiction, mental illness, and poverty.
"Too often, we’ve treated jail as the first response instead of the last resort," said Rep. Bell."These bills are about turning that around—giving communities the tools to intervene earlier, support people better, and make our justice system more fair and effective for everyone. The Justice Forward Agenda is about investing in real solutions—diversion, treatment, and community support—that reduce crime and restore lives. We can’t keep pouring billions into a broken system when we know there’s a better way."
Every day, nearly 500,000 people are held in local jails without a conviction, simply because they can’t afford to pay bail. The consequences can be devastating: job loss, eviction, family disruption, and lifelong harm — all before a single court verdict is issued. These pretrial practices disproportionately harm low-income and rural communities, as well as people of color, while doing little to enhance public safety.
The Community First Act would create a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant program to help local jurisdictions reduce unnecessary jail time.The bill provides planning and implementation grants to cities, counties, tribes, and nonprofits to support reforms such as improving the bail system, expanding pretrial services, ensuring early access to legal counsel, and investing in community-based diversion programs. To qualify for funding, jurisdictions must commit to reducing their jail populations by 5% in the first year, with long-term targets of up to a 50% reduction.
The second component, the DART Act of 2025, expands the permitted uses of federal Byrne JAG funds to support diversion and rehabilitation before incarceration ever begins. The bill encourages the growth of specialty courts, trauma-informed and restorative justice programs, and requires the creation of a National Diversion and Rehabilitation Clearinghouse to share best practices, provide training, and support jurisdictions implementing these evidence-based strategies.
The Justice Forward legislative package is supported by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-Ill.), Sanford D. Bishop (D-Ga.), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-Ga.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), and Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.).
Read the full text of the Community First Pretrial Reform Act HERE.
Read the full text of the DART Act of 2025 HERE.
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