A lighthouse that does not move. Free. In plain words.
Project Jail Cell is a Florida nonprofit with no owners and no equity. Nobody profits from an arrest.
Built by a Marine Corps veteran and former Alachua County booking deputy.
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.
What Happens Now is a free bilingual web page. Families reach it by scanning a QR code on patrol cars or arrest paperwork; the person in booking reads it on a locked tablet before their 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 or case number.
Standard arrest guides often fail families during specialized situations. We provide dedicated, rigorous breakdowns for critical scenarios under Florida law.
Florida law requires a person arrested for an act of domestic violence to remain in custody until brought before the court for bail. Do not assume a same-night bond release is possible.
When a minor is taken into custody by law enforcement rather than an adult booking process, specific juvenile detention and intake rules govern their rights and parental notification.
Project Jail Cell requires three independent directors to complete our Articles of Incorporation under Fla. Stat. § 617.0803. We currently have two seats filled and are actively looking to fill the third.
We are looking for someone independent of the founder's family, with no conflicts of interest in the bail or jail communications industries, who is willing to read an operating budget and guide our mission.
Email us at hello@projectjailcell.orgFor Government: We provide a free tool for Sheriff's Offices, County Commissions, and Public Defenders that answers family questions before dispatch lines clog.
For Funders: Nobody should profit from an arrest. Our open-source code and public books ensure transparency as we scale this resource to annual jail admissions nationwide.