How LA County’s Zero-Bail Rules Can Help Others Like Me
Los Angeles County lawmakers should enshrine the zero-bail rules into law so people in Los Angeles County jails can see their families.
Angel Lopez Jun 28, 2023
Judge Reinstates ‘Zero Bail’ Policy in Los Angeles
A preliminary injunction issued this week forbids officials from forcing people charged with low-level offenses to remain in jail because they cannot afford bail.
Meg O'Connor May 18, 2023
Bail Reform Helps Countless People. Why Don’t We Hear More of Their Stories?
Personal narratives can help the public understand the benefits of bail reform, but telling these success stories presents its own share of challenges.
Bryce Covert Jul 19, 2022
Does Bail Reform Lead to More Crime?
Opponents of bail reform blame pretrial release for increased crime, despite a lack of evidence. Lost in the debate—the proven harms of jail.
Ethan Corey Apr 06, 2022
The Successes and Shortcomings of Larry Krasner’s Trailblazing First Term
Philadelphia’s top prosecutor has made good on promises to reduce incarceration in the city. His re-election bid will be a litmus test for the progressive prosecutor movement he helped start.
Joshua Vaughn Mar 22, 2021
Virtually No One is Dangerous Enough to Justify Jail
A common sense cost-benefit analysis of pretrial detention.
Sandra Mayson, Megan Stevenson Mar 15, 2021
Philadelphia Jails Have Black Mold, Rats, Poor Heating, Say Women Held There
The Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, which recorded and published the complaints, paid for the release of some incarcerated women on Saturday.
Joshua Vaughn Dec 16, 2020
Newly Elected Los Angeles DA Will End Cash Bail in Nation’s Largest Prosecutor Office
On his first day in office, George Gascón said prosecutors will not seek bail starting Jan. 1, a win for criminal justice reformers.
Eliyahu Kamisher Dec 07, 2020
America’s Biggest City Was Hit Hard By COVID-19. Its Jails Are Filling Up Again
New York City’s jail population is close to reaching pre-pandemic levels. Advocates say dishonest fearmongering about bail reform—and the politicians who capitulated to it—have created a very real safety crisis.
Joshua Manson Nov 30, 2020
Report Finds Bail Reform in Chicago Reduced Pretrial Incarceration Without Hurting Public Safety
A growing body of evidence suggests that it’s possible to reduce or even eliminate the use of money bail without increasing crime.
Ethan Corey Nov 19, 2020
New York Watchdogs Lack Data to Track Judges’ Compliance With Bail Reform
Although the new law took effect in January, state data showing how courts are applying it won’t be available until July 2021. And without funding, courts in small towns and villages may never collect the data.
Steven Yoder Sep 09, 2020
As COVID-19 Permeates Prisons And Jails, Baltimore Defendants Continue To Be Held Without Bail
An Appeal analysis shows that the percentage of people held without bond remains steady, at roughly 33%, although arrests are down during the pandemic.
Jerry Iannelli Jul 14, 2020
New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says
Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says.
Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020
Judges Must Also Be Centered In Demands To Defund And Divest From Mass Criminalization
Calls to defund the police must also be accompanied with divesting power and discretion from judges.
Gina Clayton-Johnson Jun 17, 2020
His Immune System Is Compromised and He Spent Two Months in Jail Unable to Afford Bail
A man describes his ordeal in medical isolation while awaiting trial.
Eliyahu Kamisher Apr 16, 2020
Massachusetts Prosecutors Should Use Their Power To Dismiss Cases Now
District attorneys in the state could decarcerate quickly by dropping unnecessary cases.
Will Isenberg Apr 08, 2020
New York Retreats on Bail Reform Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
The state, which accounts for roughly one-third of all positive COVID-19 cases in the country, is facing a rapid spread of the disease in its jail and prison systems.
Bryce Covert Apr 06, 2020
Despite Risk of Spreading Virus, Judges Continue to Impose Cash Bail in Pennsylvania
In Northampton County, advocates say the practice is putting the people charged for minor offenses, and the broader community, in danger.
Joshua Vaughn Mar 19, 2020
Protesters Rally in Albany to Oppose Bail Reform Rollback
Advocates, formerly incarcerated people, and lawmakers warned against overhauling the New York law before it has a chance to prove itself.
Bryce Covert Feb 26, 2020
New York Democrats Are Caving On Bail
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. “Under pressure from law enforcement, state lawmakers say they are now willing to make significant changes to the bail reform laws that have been in effect for less than […]
Sarah Lustbader Feb 13, 2020
Bail Reform Is About Safety And Well-Being
Kalief Browder’s death in 2015 and Layleen Polanco’s in 2019 are reminders that jail is the real threat to public safety.
Vaidya Gullapalli Feb 10, 2020
Major County Jails Are Decarcerating, But Violence, Deaths Persist
Jails in New Orleans and Cleveland have had significant population drops, yet conditions of confinement remain poor. Communities harmed by these jails should experiment with new accountability measures to maintain political pressure against jail administrators.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Feb 05, 2020
Pushback On New York’s Bail Reform Reflects Fear, Ignorance
“New York Democrats have blood on their hands,” Nick Langworthy, the chairman of the state’s Republican Party, said in a news conference this week. “They rushed this dangerous, reckless law through, despite warnings from law enforcement.” Langworthy was referring to a recent attack on a rabbi’s house in Monsey, and his implication is that somehow bail reform […]
Sarah Lustbader Jan 09, 2020
Queens County D.A. Reiterates Commitment to Ending Cash Bail After Critics Say She Reneged
Melinda Katz, who was inaugurated Monday, is facing criticism over what some say is a broken campaign promise.
Aaron Morrison Jan 07, 2020
In Leaked Audio, Prosecutor Admits Locking People Up Is Not About Public Safety
“Hundreds of registered sex offenders will gather on Halloween to spend several hours under supervision in an effort to make the community feel safer,” reports Taylor Pettaway for the San Antonio Express-News. For the last decade, the probation department in San Antonio, Texas, has been holding what they call “Project S.A.F.E. Halloween,” requiring sex offenders from across […]
Sarah Lustbader Oct 31, 2019
Massachusetts Prosecutors Are Using ‘Dangerousness’ Holds To Keep People Incarcerated Pretrial
Advocates say that despite the election of several progressive prosecutors in the state, there’s a substantial increase in such detentions, which are stymieing gains made through policies to limit cash bail.
Joshua Vaughn Oct 23, 2019
Bail Isn’t Supposed to Be a Punishment. Why Does the Media Keep Acting Like it Is?
How high or low bond is isn’t a measure of how severe the state considers a crime.
Adam H. Johnson Aug 28, 2019
Billionaire Victims’ Rights Advocate Finds Himself at the Defense Table
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. This month, billionaire Henry T. Nicholas III, who made his fortune as a co-founder of the semiconductor firm Broadcom, was arrested in Las Vegas for narcotics trafficking […]
Sarah Lustbader Aug 27, 2019
Sanders And Warren Just Released the Most Decarceral Criminal Justice Platforms Ever
The 2020 presidential candidates recently unveiled national criminal justice agendas that reimagine public safety and punishment.
Aaron Morrison Aug 23, 2019
In One Arizona County, Pay For Your Ankle Monitor Or Go To Jail
A lawsuit is challenging Mohave County’s practice of charging certain people for mandatory GPS monitoring before trial.
Kira Lerner Aug 23, 2019
In Queens D.A. Race, Criminal Justice Reform Is The Real Winner
Establishment candidate Melinda Katz declared a narrow victory in the New York City borough’s district attorney primary, but progressive Tiffany Cabán pushed the race to the left on issues like marijuana and sex work.
Aaron Morrison Jul 30, 2019
States Are Blocking Courtroom Recording. But Reform Requires Transparency.
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. Last week, court watchers from the Philadelphia Bail Fund and a journalist filed a federal lawsuit to challenge a ban on audio recording during bail hearings, arguing that […]
Sarah Lustbader Jul 23, 2019
Media Frame: Chicago ‘Bean’ Graffiti Outrage Prioritizes Property Over People
Outlets ran over 200 articles covering the vandalism. The outsize attention will likely damage young lives.
Adam H. Johnson Jul 11, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: Pleading Guilty Just To Go Home
With Appeal reporter Josh Vaughn
Adam H. Johnson Jul 11, 2019
Progressive Philly D.A. Larry Krasner’s Bail Reform Plans Seem Stalled, Advocates Say
Krasner’s office acknowledges ‘there’s room to move forward and do more.’
Bryce Covert Jun 25, 2019
Arizona Man Faces Deportation After Filing Lawsuit Against Coconino County Sheriff
Jose Montelongo-Morales challenged the jail’s immigration detainer policy. He and some of his family members were arrested months later.
Lauren Gill Jun 18, 2019
Suicides, ICE Cooperation, and Racism Allegations at Maryland Jail
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler’s office, which partners with immigration enforcement, faces jail deaths and a discrimination claim from a Legal Aid attorney.
Lauren Gill Jun 18, 2019
In Pennsylvania, Detention as a First Option
Heavy reliance on pretrial incarceration in Berks County subjects people to poor medical care and unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
Joshua Vaughn Jun 14, 2019
Media Frame: Using Gun Fears to Demagogue Bail Reform
CBS 2 Chicago relied on police voices and irrelevant data to question efforts to end cash bail.
Adam H. Johnson Jun 14, 2019
Pleading Guilty to Get Out of Jail
The criminalization of poverty in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has led to a staggering increase in incarcerated people, all at a huge cost for defendants and taxpayers alike.
Joshua Vaughn Jun 06, 2019