Why We Fight for Bail Accountability. Appearance. Justice. The bail profession keeps the system working. As a surety representative in the bail profession, you spend a great deal of time traveling across the country, working with bail agents, state associations, and other criminal justice stakeholders.…
The “Willful Non-Appearance” Trap: How Bail Reform Activists are Eroding Accountability In the push for bail reform and expanded pretrial release, some jurisdictions have quietly rewritten a core enforcement tool: redefining “failure to appear” (FTA) as “willful non-appearance.” What sounds like a minor semantic tweak—adding…
The Pitfalls of the 10% Deposit Bail System: A Billion-Dollar Lesson from Philadelphia Why Washington State Should Reject Recently Proposed Court Rules to Implement a 10% Deposit Bail System There are three main methods by which accused individuals can gain pretrial release. Each of these…
Understanding Bail Reform Research and Propaganda (Part 1 of 4): Bail Reform and Public Safety: Evidence from 33 Cities – A Critical Review The Brennan Center for Justice Report Released on August 15, 2024, the Brennan Center for Justice’s report, “Bail Reform and Public Safety:…
Understanding Bail Reform Research and Propaganda (Extra Credit): SJ Quinney College of Law, University of Utah This next study examines the outcome of the Bail Reform Act of 2017 passing in Illinois. This piece of legislation eliminated the use of any sort of financially secured…
Understanding Bail Reform Research and Propaganda (Part 2 of 4): The Bail Project Tulsa, Oklahoma Study As we close out October and head into November, “Cashless Bail” is still making headlines across the country. Ever since President Trump’s August 25th executive order, bail reform has…
