Part 4: The Six Most Significant Bail Studies, Dr. Michael Block, "The Effectiveness and Cost of Secured and Unsecured Release in California’s Large Urban Counties” (2005)

Secured Release Through a Surety Bond is More Effective and Cost-Efficient Than Unsecured Release

The fourth study included in AIA Surety's six-part article series, The Six Most Significant Bail Studies is Dr. Michael Block's (2005) study, “The Effectiveness and Cost of Secured and Unsecured Pretrial Release in California’s Large Urban Counties.” After more than two decades it still remains one of the most important pieces of research in the national bail reform and pretrial release conversation. Conducted by University of Arizona economist Michael K. Block, Ph.D., the report analyzed more than a decade of Bureau of Justice Statistics data from California’s largest urban counties between 1990 and 2000. Comparing financially secured surety bonds to unsecured options such as release on recognizance (ROR) and conditional pretrial services, the study found that defendants released on surety bonds had a dramatically lower failure-to-appear (FTA) rate of just 20.1%, versus 31.8% for unsecured releases. Block further estimated that shifting even a modest 7% of cases to surety bonds would prevent over 1,000 additional FTAs each year and generate approximately $1.3 million in annual taxpayer savings through reduced court delays, warrants, and rearrests.

This California-focused analysis is especially significant in today’s heated debates over cashless bail and pretrial release reform. It demonstrates that the private financial incentives built into commercial surety bonds — where bondsmen and sureties are personally liable for non-appearance — consistently outperform unsecured and cashless models in ensuring defendants return to court. Unlike taxpayer-funded pretrial services programs that require substantial public funding for supervision and monitoring, the surety bond system delivers superior results at virtually zero cost to the public. As jurisdictions across the country experiment with cashless bail policies, Block’s findings provide clear, data-driven evidence that removing financial conditions often weakens accountability and increases system costs. For policymakers seeking effective, evidence-based bail reform, this study remains essential reading showing that financially secured surety bonds are among the most efficient and reliable tools in the pretrial release process.

An excerpt from the original article is below as well as a link to the original article.

Part 4 – The Six Most Significant Bail Studies
Block, “The Effectiveness and Cost of Secured and Unsecured Release in California’s Large Urban Counties” (2005)

Powerful Evidence for the Effectiveness and Cost Savings of Financially Secured Surety Bonds

The fourth study in the series, the Six Most Significant Bail Studies, is Block’s 2005 study, “The Effectiveness and Cost of Secured and Unsecured Release in California’s Large Urban Counties.” This study stands out for its clear, data-driven demonstration that financially secured release through commercial surety bonds outperforms unsecured alternatives in both effectiveness and cost. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE>>>