The Point

Cash bail punishes the poor, keeps jails overcrowded, and destabilizes people and communities. Illinois just passed a bill to end it; other states should follow suit. 

Public transportation is a critical lifeline—it’s how people get to their jobs, doctors, food, and education. Cities should work to make it accessible and available to everyone, and the federal government must support those efforts.

In the wake of The San Francisco Chronicle’s revelation that the California District Attorneys Association has misspent $2.88 million in restricted funds, State Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager has called for investigations and hearings into the matter. Other officials must join this demand for accountability.

Jails across the country are nearing or exceeding pre-pandemic incarceration levels. Government officials—especially judges, sheriffs, and prosecutors—must work quickly to release people inside jails and divert those who are still being booked into them.