The Justice Policy Institute published three reports on the U.S. bail system in an effort to raise public awareness on an issue that is not often highlighted — and one that most people do not fully understand. The intricacies of the U.S. bail system are complex from the point of arrest to the insurance agencies that oversee bail bond companies.
During the month of September 2012, JPI published Bail Fail, For Better or for Profit and Bailing on Baltimore, three reports that analyzed the current system of bail and its impacts on the community at large.
Please download these reports, listen to the audio recordings from our meetings and keep the conversation going on your social networks, in your work places and amongst friends and family. If you would like JPI to be a resource to you on this issue or are interested in partnering with us, please email us at [email protected].
To download our High Price of Bail infographic, click here. Go to our YouTube Channel to view a short and long version on our High Price of Bail event held in September. Click here to view a 40-second video promoting bail advocacy.
Bail Fail: Why the U.S. Should End the Practice of Using Money for Bail
Click here for Bail Fail fact sheet
For Better or For Profit: How the Bail Bonding Industry Stands in the Way of Fair and Effective Pre-trial Justice
Click here for For Better or For Profit fact sheet
Bailing on Baltimore: Voices from the Front Lines of the justice System
Note: In our 2012 report, Bailing on Baltimore: Voices from the Front Lines of the Justice System, we erroneously reported that release on recognizance “rarely” occurs in Baltimore City. According to data from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services’ Central Region Statistics Report February 2013, of the 54,176 bookings processed in 2012, 43 percent were released on own recognizance, 4 percent were released without charge, and 52 percent were released to confinement in the detention center.
Audio bail reform resources:
- Click here to listen to our brown bag discussion discussion featuring Dr. Melissa Neal and Spike Bradford of JPI, Nicole Austin-Hillery of the Brennan Center and Brian Chad Starks, former bail bondsman and assistant professor at Delaware State University.
- Click here to listen to our national conference call featuring JPI, Professor Adele Bernhard of NACDL’s Pretrial Justice Task Force and Professor Shima Baradaran and chair of the ABA Committee on Pretrial.
We also encourage you to utilize our partners’ work including:
- Brennan Center for Justice’s reports, Community Oriented Defense: Start Now and Criminal Justice Debt: A Toolkit for Action.
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers website.
You can also read our Just Policy Blog to get more insight on bail and other perspectives from our researchers and partners including the Brennan Center, Prison Legal News and former Hunger Fellow, Jean Chung.
Select media coverage during JPI Bail Month
New America Media
Voice of Russia radio interview with JPI
WYPR Public Radio (Baltimore) Midday with Dan Rodricks radio interview
Seattle Medium