If Bail Reform Works, where is the Data?
Over the past two decades, we have listened to bail reform advocates talk about their success stories. From personal recognizance bonds in Harris County, Texas to zero bail in New Jersey to the complete elimination of financially secured release in Illinois, we are always hearing the same thing...the results are great. More people are showing up for court and our communities are safer. But with every bail reform claim of success comes the same data and proof...none. Why is it that the sales pitch never matches the reality? And why is it that when asked for the data so we can see how bail reform is working, it is never available.
According to a recent article on the bettergov.org website, it appears that the bail reform advocates are up to it again...this time in Illinois. In 2023, Illinois passed the Safe-T act, which eliminated all forms of financially secured release in the state. As part of the act, courts were required to collect data so that the results of the reforms could be tracked and measured. And in typical bail reform fashion, to date, no results have been shared. The big question is why? Maybe because the results aren't what they promised? I remember when New Jersey replaced its bail system with a zero-bail program...the same thing happened. We never saw the data. Even today, we have never seen the real data from New Jersey. We only get to see hand-picked data points that support the reforms that were made.
Illinois residents need to stand up and speak out. They need to demand to see the data of the program that was forced upon them. The people who sold the citizens of Illinois this ineffective and dangerous program must be held accountable...and the only way to do that is by seeing the data. Bail reform supporters need to start standing behind their programs with more than just sad stories and emotion. We need the facts. Only then can we truly know if these reforms are working.
Frequently asked questions about bail reform
Q: How effective has the Safe-T Act been for Illinois?
A: It is really hard to answer that question since they are not releasing court data to the public as mandated by the law. That being said, the news stories about crime coming out of the state, don't signal that the reforms are king well or making Illinois communities safer.
Q: Are there any studies that specifically talk about the effectiveness of these bail reform efforts?
A: Yes, there have been several research studies done on the topic of bail reform. Recently, AIA Surety, released a six part article series on the Six Most Significant Bail Studies Ever Conducted. You can find these six studies on their website.
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