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Bail Reform

20
Jun
If Bail Reform Works, where is the Data?

If Bail Reform Works, where is the Data?

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
2 min read
20
Jun
Part 5: The Six Most Significant Bail Studies - Reisig (2023) Yolo County Zero Bail Study

Part 5: The Six Most Significant Bail Studies - Reisig (2023) Yolo County Zero Bail Study

The fifth study in AIA Surety's series on the most significant bail studies is the Yolo County Zero Bail Study, conducted by former District Attorney Jeff Reisig and released in 2023
1 min read
09
Jun
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)

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)

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.
2 min read
02
Jun
The Fuzzy Math Behind Bail Reform

The Fuzzy Math Behind Bail Reform

In a recent article on the AIA Surety website, cashless bail and bail reform data and claims about the effectiveness of their policies and programs are called into question.
2 min read
27
May
Part 3: The Six Most Significant Bail Studies - Dr. Robert Morris, Dallas County Pretrial Release Study (2013, 2014, 2017)

Part 3: The Six Most Significant Bail Studies - Dr. Robert Morris, Dallas County Pretrial Release Study (2013, 2014, 2017)

The next research study in AIA Surety's The Six Most Significant Bail Studies series is the Dallas County, Texas Pretrial Release Study by Dr. Robert Morris.
2 min read
26
May
Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act) Is Not Delivering the “Fairer and Safer” System It Promised

Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act) Is Not Delivering the “Fairer and Safer” System It Promised

It praises the elimination of money bail, the new “evidence-based” detention hearings, public defender advocacy, court reporters, and the supposed triumph of due process over “wealth-based detention.”
3 min read
20
May
H.R. 6260 - Unravelling the Failings of the Bail Reform Movement at the National Level

H.R. 6260 - Unravelling the Failings of the Bail Reform Movement at the National Level

On May 14, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6260, the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act, along party lines as part of a broader Republican-led package targeting cashless bail policies and charitable bail organizations.
3 min read
19
May
Bail's Effectiveness Comes from the Powerful Incentives it Creates

Bail's Effectiveness Comes from the Powerful Incentives it Creates

The second study in AIA Surety's article series on the best bail studies ever conducted is the 2004 study by economists Eric Helland and Alexander Tabarrok, titled “The Fugitive: Evidence on Public Versus Private Law Enforcement from Bail Jumping.”
2 min read
18
May
Vera Institute's California Messaging on Bail Reform Spins Like a Top

Vera Institute's California Messaging on Bail Reform Spins Like a Top

Check out the latest article from President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, Michael Morrison, criticizing the Vera Institute and the anti-surety movement for promoting a narrative that every bail decision in California amounts to “wealth-based detention.”
1 min read
18
May
Congressional Testimony on Federal Bail Reform: A Misleading Portrait of Liberty vs. Reality

Congressional Testimony on Federal Bail Reform: A Misleading Portrait of Liberty vs. Reality

While his critique of wealth-based detention is a common talking point in bail reform debate and is expected from someone like Raskin, the facts about cashless bail, the federal system and their effectiveness tell a very different story.
2 min read