ACLU…Where are You?
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF Typically, when I write bail reform related blogs, I like to focus on the victim side of the issue. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but it just seems that no one is concerned about…
Bail Reform and Risk Assessments: Trusting Public Safety to a Roll of the Dice
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF Last week, California’s Judicial Council agreed to pay $70 million for the world’s largest Magic 8 Ball. We aren’t sure of the actual dimensions of the giant 1970’s popular prognosticating pool ball, but we are told it is going…
Bail Reform Hypocrisy: Your Money Bad…Our Money Good
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF If you have been following the bail reform movement, you know its proponents hate “money bail” more than anything. They call it unfair. They call it ineffective. They call it socially and economically unjust. They call it racist. That…
Charitable Bail Funds: The Latest Dangerous Bail Reform Idea
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF Over the past few months, I have learned an important lesson about the bail reform movement. Its organizers are so focused on eliminating the bail industry that they are willing to do anything…even if it means putting the public…
If You Want To Reform the Criminal Justice System Why Not Ask a Bondsman?
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF It is a Wednesday morning and I just finished reading another report, this time from Los Angeles County, providing bail reform recommendations to the LA County Supervisors. As usual, the report was full of the typical bail reform talking…
Bail Reform Advocates Miss the Point of Justice for ALL
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH ERIC GRANOF I was speaking with a good friend last week on the phone and, as usual, our conversation turned to bail reform. It is sad that happens, but when you are in my line of work, inevitably all conversations seem…
Equal Justice: It is Time for a Lesson in Bail Bonding
This past week, I was sent a YouTube video from one of our agents. The video was titled, “The Bail Bonds Industry is Horrible.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGKmXpEP1pc&sns=em). The video consisted of an interview with one of Equal Justice Under Law’s founders, Alec Karakatsanis. In the video, Mr.…
Bail Reform: Innocence for the Poor, Guilt for the Rich
BEHIND THE PAPER WITH BRIAN NAIRIN: As I read another senseless article this week written by an advocate for public sector pretrial release programs, I couldn’t help but notice a pretty big contradiction in their social justice narrative. The author made the statement that jails…
Bail Reform: Does Anyone Care What the Public Wants?
A little over a month ago, I wrote a blog about an online poll conducted in Delaware. The poll was asking the public should the state end its cash bail system. Maybe surprising to bail reform proponents, but not to anyone in the bail industry,…
American Bail Coalition Statement on Latest Equal Justice Lawsuit in Sacramento
Last week the American Bail Coalition posted a statement on the latest lawsuit filed by the pretrial activist group Equal Justice Under Law. This time the group filed the lawsuit in California’s state capital, Sacramento. Unlike the previous lawsuit filed in San Francisco, this lawsuit names…