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<\/p>\nBEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF<\/p>\n
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I know that it has been a while since my last blog post, but to be honest, I have been struggling with what to write about.\u00a0 This whole bail reform movement has got me so confused and frustrated that I am not sure anymore on how to discuss, debate and comprehend the other side\u2019s argument.\u00a0 I have tried being diplomatic and understanding to their issue and looked for a middle ground, but unfortunately the other side doesn\u2019t listen.\u00a0 I have tried using facts and statistics disproving their position, but still they don\u2019t listen.\u00a0 I have even tried simple common-sense arguments that distill what some believe are complex confusing concepts down to easy to understand life examples, but once again, even that falls on deaf ears.\u00a0 To say this is frustrating is an understatement.<\/p>\n
This past week, something happened in California that really brought this frustration to light and hit home with me as to what our industry is struggling with.\u00a0 California\u2019s newly elected Governor Gavin Newsom decided to put a moratorium on the death penalty.\u00a0 Now many of you might agree with Governor Newsom and think that the death penalty is wrong, but I really don\u2019t want to get into that argument in this blog and that is not what my point is in bringing it up.\u00a0 My point is that in the past 47 years, the citizens of California have voted not once, but ELEVEN<\/strong> times to keep the death penalty.\u00a0 In fact, in the last election a few months back, not only did the people of California vote to keep it (once again), they actually voted to speed up the process.<\/p>\n So here is the problem.\u00a0 The people elect \u201crepresentatives\u201d to government.\u00a0 These representatives have a pretty simple job\u2026 \u201cTO REPRESENT.\u201d\u00a0 Getting elected and sworn into office does not mean that you no longer have that responsibility.\u00a0 You don\u2019t get free reign to impose your own will on the people.\u00a0 Gavin Newsom\u2019s decision to put a moratorium on the death penalty isn\u2019t a bad decision because I personally don\u2019t agree with it.\u00a0 It is a bad decision because the people he represents don\u2019t agree with it\u2026to the tune of 61%.\u00a0 Gavin Newsom\u2019s \u201cdeath penalty\u201d edict is only one of many of these types of dangerous, irresponsible and unpopular decisions.\u00a0 No longer does the will of the people drive decision making, it has become the will of the individual and the special interests.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for the bail industry, this is a key part of what is happening in our fight.\u00a0 Regardless of the facts, regardless of the statistics, regardless of the will of the people, our elected officials are force feeding bail reform through the legislative process.\u00a0\u00a0 They have not been told to by their constituents to eliminate bail, they are just doing it.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0\u00a0 Who could know for sure?\u00a0 But for whatever reason, whether it be pressure from special interests or a deep social belief in the inequality of our justice system, our elected officials have lost sight of their true purpose.\u00a0 A purpose which should be solely focused on representing the will of the voters.<\/p>\n This gets me to the will of the voters and our industry, bail.\u00a0 What do voters think of bail reform?\u00a0 According to a survey conducted by the Pretrial Justice Institute and Koch Industries, the public loves it. In fact, they can\u2019t get enough of it.\u00a0 They don\u2019t want \u201cinnocent\u201d people accused of a crime to be locked up in jail before trial.\u00a0 They don\u2019t think it is fair that rich people can bail out and poor people can\u2019t.\u00a0 To be honest, if either of those things were true, I am sure that even I would support their cause.\u00a0 But here is the problem, those things aren\u2019t true.\u00a0 Innocent people aren\u2019t languishing because they are poor.\u00a0 But the public doesn\u2019t know that.\u00a0 They are just believing what they are being told and the groups conducting the survey know this.\u00a0 These types of surveys are designed to give the group giving the survey the answers they want.\u00a0 There are always ways to get the answers you want, based on the questions you ask.\u00a0 That is the problem with any proponent of an issue sharing the results of any survey.\u00a0 It will always be biased.\u00a0 And that goes for bail as well.<\/p>\n What is the truth?\u00a0 What does the public really think?\u00a0 The only way to find out is to have a conversation with them.\u00a0 Educate them on the facts of our criminal justice system.\u00a0 When consumers have the facts, something amazing happens\u2026they start using common sense.\u00a0 Every person I have discussed bail with, whether they be liberal, conservative or independent, has seen the benefit of the people having to pay for their release.\u00a0 Every person I have shown the actual real data to on who is locked up in our jails awaiting trial, agrees that many of those people should not just be released for FREE.\u00a0 As you can see, these aren\u2019t biased surveys that I am paying people to take. These are honest straightforward conversations with the public about how the criminal justice system works, the need for accountability of those accused of crimes, and the importance of the public\u2019s safety with any form of pretrial release.\u00a0 At the end of the day, almost every person (more than 90%) I have spoken with, has supported the concept of financially secured release and disapproved of the concept of just letting people out for free.<\/p>\n If the public doesn\u2019t want to eliminate bail, then why do our legislators continue to push for elimination?\u00a0 If the public wants people accused of crimes to be held accountable, why do our legislators continue to push for less accountability?\u00a0 These are important questions we need to answer.\u00a0 Our legislators should be promoting and supporting legislation that is in the best interest of the public and nothing else.\u00a0 Do we elect representatives because they know better than us?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 Our political system does not exist for the benefit of the politician.\u00a0 It exists for the benefit of the people.<\/p>\n Now what?\u00a0 When we reach a place where understanding, facts and common sense have no meaning, what is left?\u00a0 To be honest, I am not sure, however I do know that we still need to have hope.\u00a0 We still need to fight.\u00a0 We need to trust in the power of the people to correct the wrongs of those representatives who have lost their way.\u00a0 The more we as an industry can do to continue to educate the public about the issues surrounding bail, the more they will pressure their elected officials.\u00a0 The more tools that we as an industry can give the public to fight our fight the better off we will ultimately be.\u00a0 The bail reform fight is more than a fight to save the bail industry.\u00a0 It is a fight to save our political process.\u00a0 It is a fight to save our communities.\u00a0 And most importantly, it is a fight to save our country\u2019s most valuable asset of all, freedom.<\/p>\n