L.A. Ended a Zero-Bail COVID Rule, and Now the Jail Population is Growing
In June, a judge ended an emergency order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in LA’s jails, enraging civil-rights advocates.
Judge Strikes Down New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban
The ban had helped the Broome County Sheriff rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits from detainee video and phone call fees.
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.
New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban Drives Big Profits on Detainee Calls
More than two years into the pandemic, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office is still prohibiting all jail visits. The policy helped them take in more than a half-million dollars in 2021.
‘It’s an Emergency’: Tens of Thousands of Incarcerated People are Sexually Assaulted Each Year
Cynthia Alvarado was raped in jail before she was sentenced to life in prison for a murder she did not commit. Now that her sentence has been overturned, Alvarado is fighting for women like her.
Why New York Jail Populations Are Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels
After the state rolled back a progressive bail law, data from the Vera Institute of Justice suggests judges are ordering more people be held in jails, amid continued worry over COVID-19.
How St. Paul Became The Twin Cities’ Leader On Justice Reform
Although Minneapolis has garnered media attention since the George Floyd uprising, St. Paul may be the Twin City making the most strides toward transformative justice. But Sheriff Bob Fletcher’s actions may undo positive steps in Ramsey County.
Virtually No One is Dangerous Enough to Justify Jail
A common sense cost-benefit analysis of pretrial detention.
Illinois State Lawmakers Vote To Eliminate Cash Bail
The move is part of a broader criminal justice reform bill that also ends prison gerrymandering, and mandates body cameras for all police departments.
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.
Kyle Rittenhouse Bought His Freedom. Kalief Browder Could Not.
The Rittenhouse case raises particularly pointed questions about what we are really talking about when we talk about bail.
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.
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.
Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform
The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage.
The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty
In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Law Enforcement Leaders Agree: Money Bail Has To End, Especially In A Pandemic
The current coronavirus crisis underscores our urgent need to look hard at our pretrial justice system. Eliminating money bail is a necessary first step.
California Makes Major Bail Change To Slow the Spread of Coronavirus In Jails
Bail will be set at $0 for most misdemeanors and low-level felony offenses.
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.
Rikers Island Physician Voices Coronavirus Fears As Cuomo Meets With Officials Looking To Scuttle Bail Reforms
Late Wednesday, the chief physician at the Rikers jail complex said on Twitter that judges and prosecutors must not leave New York City's jailed population ‘in harm’s way.’
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.
Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails
A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier.
Pennsylvania Public Defenders Not Reinstated Despite Public Outcry Over Firing
Montgomery County Chief Public Defender Dean Beer and Deputy Chief Keisha Hudson were fired last month after filing an amicus brief critical of the county’s bail setting practices.
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.
Criminal Justice Group Drops Support For Pretrial Risk Assessment Tools As Ohio Justices Seek To Block Their Use
Reform advocates say the risk assessments are racially biased and are not effective at their key tasks: predicting the likelihood someone will return to court.
A Lack Of Evidence Doesn’t Keep The New York Times From Declaring a ‘Spike In Crime’
In two articles, the Times asserts a ‘spike’ in crime since the passage of bail reform in New York, an increase that the articles themselves note they can’t prove.
As Bail Reform Takes Hold Across New York State, a Rural County Wrestles With The Future Of Its Aging Jail
The debate around bail reform focused predominantly on New York City's Rikers Island, but the bigger impact may be upstate, where almost two-thirds of the state’s jail capacity is located.
How New York’s Bail Reforms Are Playing Out in a Queens Court
Despite dire-sounding headlines, the state’s cash bail reforms are having a positive impact on the people they are meant to help.
Michigan Task Force Calls On State To Significantly Reduce Mass Incarceration In County Jails
A bipartisan group has recommended substantive changes to the state’s legal justice system, including cash bail reform and proposals to divert people living with mental illnesses away from incarceration.
Pretrial Reform Must Go Beyond Ending Cash Bail
As a society, we can’t continue to subject hundreds of thousands of people to the trauma of incarceration before they face a jury of their peers.
In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail
People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests.
U.S. Senate Candidate Endorses Ayanna Pressley’s Criminal Justice Reform Plan
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez of Texas told The Appeal about her vision for a complete overhaul of her state’s legal system.
Exploiting New York City’s Chinatown Killings to Attack Bail Reform
The New York Post used a tragedy to target bail reform activists, rather than point to the challenges of a failed mental health system and poverty.
Nation’s Largest Bail Fund Plans To Stop Bailing People Out Of Jail
The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund said it doesn’t want to ‘prop up an unjust system.’
Courts Are Intervening to Dismantle Unjust Cash Bail Systems Across the U.S.
A series of victories for advocates reflects a shift in the ‘popular narrative’ around bail.