Its website says it hires “Bail Disruptors” in cities where it operates to find people to bail out.

“We also look for ties in a community that can lend support,” according to the website. “If they have previous involvement with the criminal legal system, we look at their history of court appearances. The Bail Project does not discriminate by charge.”

Scott had been sentenced to probation on a drug charge in 2003. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail for assault in 1998, and 236 days for drug possession in 1997.

Mike Milton, site manager of the St. Louis Bail Project, said in a statement Monday: “Nobody wants to see something like this happen, but it is crucial to remember that bail didn’t cause this tragedy — Mr. Scott, a 54-year-old father, was charged with a misdemeanor, and if he’d just been wealthy enough to afford his bail he would have been free in either case. “Moments like this are devastating, but it’s important not to lose sight of the larger injustices of cash bail and the need for reform.”

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner said in a statement Tuesday that she plans to meet with Bail Project leaders to “help them better understand the risks to victims and witnesses when posting bail for any type of domestic violence cases … .”

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