Bail Reform: Justice for Me, But Not for Thee

There is no question that bail reform policies are a complete and utter failure around the country. They promise a criminal justice utopia for everyone, but deliver more crime and less justice. That is of course you are someone who is famous or connected to the powerful.

In a recent article in the New York Post titled, "Progressive criminal justice protects ONLY the powerful and famous", the author details several criminal defendants who based on who the victim was, were treated very differently. If someone was a famous television personality then the criminal gets locked up, if the victim was just a lowly plebian like the rest of us, then the criminal gets released back into the community under the guise of fairness and equity.

The problem with this situation and our criminal justice system overall is that both sides of scales are broken. While some jurisdictions are locking everyone up without bail, others are releasing everyone without bail. Neither solution is effective and both are creating havoc in our criminal justice system. The confusing part of all this is that we already have a solution available to every jurisdiction around the country...financially secured release through a surety bond.

Surety bail is the balance point in the criminal justice system. It holds defendants released pretrial accountable by financially tying them and their loved ones to their appearance. It frees up our jails by allowing defendants to pay only a small percentage of the bail as opposed to the full amount. It gives crime victims a chance at justice by ensuring defendants show up at court. And lastly it keeps the wheels of our criminal justice system turning by ensuring that cases are completed and defendants are moved through the system expeditiously.

So, the next time you see a career criminal with 50 priors released back into the public remember who the elected officials were who forced bail reform on your community and who promised you safety and justice. Because the criminals that dare to victimize them will be treated with a different type of justice then the criminals that come after you...and that is neither fair nor just.