Justice-involved individuals often face many barriers when accessing the courts such as lack of transportation, legal fees and conflicts with taking time off work and child care schedules to appear. Bench warrants, a common issue the Tap In Center (TIC) handles, are issued for a defendant’s failure to appear in court. A bench warrant means risking arrest and jail time. The TIC seeks to mitigate these barriers & offers an accessible and low-stress environment for clients within two St. Louis County Library (SLCL) branches.

At the TIC, public defenders and County prosecutors work together to recall warrants, often by the next day. Clients check into TIC & a court liaison passes their case information to defense attorneys from The Bail Project (TBP) & Public Defender’s Office. While defense attorneys confer with the prosecutor, TBP connects the client with pretrial support. SLCL provides a safe location for clients. The time and location of the TIC were intentionally chosen to increase accessibility in an area with the highest jail rate.

Since TIC started in 2020, they have served 780 individuals and facilitated 593 bench warrant recalls at the felony, misdemeanor, and ordinance violation levels. Most of the clients reside in areas of St. Louis County where over 28% of the population is living below the poverty line. Due to its success, a satellite TIC opened in 2022 and a Pretrial Support Program was implemented. One client said, “It kept me out of jail, which allowed me to continue to work, stay in treatment, and mainly stay out of the system.”