January 1, Bail Project Under Fire After Violent Crimes by Released Suspects

Wyatt’s Take

• The Bail Project ignored family warnings and bailed out suspects who later committed serious crimes.
• The group spent millions letting out people who went on to harm others.
• Some victims’ families say tragedies could have been prevented if the group listened.

The Bail Project, claiming to help families, gave out more than $91 million to bail people out of jail. In several cases, those released ended up killing someone soon after getting out.

Donnie Allen’s family told the group not to bail him out, warning he could reoffend or needed help. The Bail Project paid his bail anyway, and just days later, Allen was arrested for allegedly murdering a 27-year-old man in Cleveland.

One of Allen’s family members said,

“I just feel like the whole situation could have been avoided and a life would be living had they listened to what we had to say when they asked.”

Allen had past charges like burglary, assault, and drug possession. His case wasn’t the only one.

Travis Lang got out of jail with help from the Bail Project, then shot and killed Dylan McGinnis just months later. McGinnis’ mom said he was trying to help a friend when he was killed.

She said,

“He probably feared for her.”

In Missouri, Samuel Lee Scott was bailed out by the group after getting arrested for domestic assault. Just hours after release, he killed his wife. He got life in prison for that crime.

The Bail Project’s director responded to these events with,

“No one could have predicted this tragedy… had he been wealthy enough to afford his bail… he would have been free pretrial as well.”

Families and victims say the group needs to listen when people warn them and not just pay bail for everyone. The heartbreak could have been avoided if they had thought about the risk first.

If you care about community safety and want to protect your neighborhood, share this story and stay informed.

Wyatt Matters

Everyday Americans want to keep their families safe and expect common sense decisions from groups working in our justice system. Trust is lost when outsiders ignore local voices and put communities at risk for the sake of a cause.

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