Bail Reform
Houston Judges Move to Halt Bail Reform
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Over a dozen Houston judges are appealing a federal judicial order forcing the prompt release of most misdemeanor defendants within 24 hours of arrest. The injunction went into effect last June.
Reforming the System
Is a ‘Common Sense’ Approach to Bail Reform Finally Gaining Traction?
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A recent national poll of 1,400 voters shows nearly one in five respondents want to scrap the current money bail system. That should send a message to policymakers that voters are willing to accept alternatives that limit arrests and incarceration for nonviolent offenses, writes the CEO of the Pretrial Justice Institute.
Bail
As Federal Bail Reform Stalls, States and Cities Act
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Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has introduced legislation that would end money bail on the federal level and incentivize states to do the same. Federal bail reform seems likely to stall; meanwhile, Robin Steinberg of the Bronx Defenders has set up a national bail project to help poor clients win pretrial release.
Reforming the System
Incarceration Decrease? Drop in Prison Numbers Called ‘Anemic’
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Although the US prison population has begun to decline, researcher Malcolm C. Young says the rate of decrease is so low that the goal of prison reformers to cut prison populations by half would unlikely be reached until 2068.
Reforming the System
Richmond Pushes Away from Cash Bail, Joining Trend
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Michael N. Herring, the Virginia city’s top prosecutor, said his staffers will now recommend release without bail for most defendants. He said the cash bail system “strikes me as unfair” and does not ensure that accused criminals will appear in court.
Reforming the System
Legislation Alone Won’t Decarcerate America, Warn Advocates
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Reducing US prison populations requires a strategy that engages all the players in the justice system, from courts to community residents to the media, a panel at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice was told.
Washington Report
‘Smarter Justice,’ Bail Reforms Make Headway Across U.S., Advocates Say
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Progressive prosecutors and scientific pretrial release systems are reducing jail populations, say Jeremy Travis of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh. New policies by newly elected Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, including decriminalizing marijuana possession, were cited as examples.
Reforming the System
Too Poor to Raise Bail, 100,000 New Yorkers Sent Behind Bars
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According to a report from the New York Civil Liberties Union, white defendants were more than two times more likely to be released on the same day bail was set than black defendants.
Reforming the System
Justice Reformers Launch Scorecard on Progress in a ‘Watershed’ Year
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The Vera Institute of Justice plans to track major trends and developments in criminal justice throughout the country, focusing on 12 key areas, ranging from gun ownership to sexual assault.
Reforming the System
NJ Bail Reform Called a Success, System Going Broke
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In its first year, New Jersey’s historic bail overhaul slashed the number of people charged with minor crimes locked up until trial because they couldn’t post bail by 20 percent. Yet the system is “simply not sustainable” because it relies on court fees rather than the state budget, a report from the New Jersey judiciary says.