Michael Hough, Director of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development & Public Safety and Elections Task Force, for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), is once again stepping up for the bail bond industry. He recently sent a letter to 2056 state legislators in 12 states directly challenging 10% Deposit Bail. The letter was sent in partnership with the American Bail Coalition (a collection of the industry’s leading bail bond insurance companies) and was attached to a compelling reprint of a four-part series from the Philadelphia Inquirer which ran December 13, 2009 – December 16, 2009. The reprint is entitled, “Justice: Delayed, Dismissed, Denied.”
A copy of Mr. Hough’s letter that accompanied the reprint is included below.
March 10, 2010
Dear Lawmaker,
Enclosed is a reprint of a series of articles published in December 2009 by the Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s an unfortunate irony that it chronicles the collapse of the criminal justice system of the city which saw the birth of the U. S Constitution.
As the Public Safety and Elections Task Force Director of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); the nation’s largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators, I am writing to provide you information on this failed system—so that your state can hopefully learn from this mistake.
This four-part series reports that there are almost 47,000 fugitives on the streets of Philadelphia. These fugitives owe taxpayers a staggering $1 billion. This does not have to be the fate of your state.
A major reason for this dysfunction is because the commercial bail industry is not allowed to operate in Philadelphia – please refer to page 13 of the series. Philadelphia uses a system called ten percent deposit cash bail, which is completely run by the government. The court determines a defendant’s bail, and then the defendant posts a deposit with the court and is released. If the defendant shows for court they receive their deposit back, but if they skip – the city loses 90 percent of the bond. Criminals love this system. They get out of jail for almost free. They skip and nobody comes after them. The ten percent bail system’s legacy? Over $1 billion in unpaid forfeitures at a time when the city is cutting services because of budget shortfalls.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has done a service by exposing the unacceptable job the taxpayer funded pretrial release agencies do when monitoring criminals and the poor job they do to ensure these individuals make it to court to face punishment for their crimes.
If your state has or is contemplating the introduction of a ten percent bail system, read the enclosed article for a blue print of your state’s public safety fate. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Michael Hough
Director of the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development
& Public Safety and Elections Task Forces
The American Legislative Exchange Council
Direct: 202-742-8530
[email protected]
Director of the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development
& Public Safety and Elections Task Forces
The American Legislative Exchange Council
Direct: 202-742-8530
[email protected]