The Bail Project: Charity or Irresponsibility?

The Bail Project, an organization spearheading and promoting the use of charitable bail fund initiatives around the country, is facing growing scrutiny for its dangerous and irresponsible approach to pretrial release.  In a recent article from the President of the Florida Bail Agents Association, Cary Carlisle, what makes these unlicensed charity bail funds so dangerous is that they post bail without reviewing any defendants’ criminal record, prior failures to appear, or risks to public safety. They simply post the bond and then wipe their hands clean of it.  This one-size-fits-all charitable bail strategy treats repeat offenders, those with violent histories, and individuals who have previously violated court orders the same as low-risk first-time defendants. The article goes on to argue that by deliberately ignoring criminal history in the name of bail reform, The Bail Project undermines the core purpose of bail—ensuring court appearances and protecting communities—potentially creating avoidable threats to public safety through unchecked and unaccountable pretrial releases.

Unlike surety bail agents who operate under strict regulation and assume direct financial responsibility for defendants’ compliance, The Bail Project faces no comparable accountability when individuals fail to appear or reoffend after receiving charitable bail. This gap in oversight shifts the burden to victims, law enforcement, and taxpayers. To address these issues, advocates are urging states to pass legislation similar to Florida’s recent proposal, requiring all cash bonds to be posted in the defendant’s own name so any refund goes directly to them. Such measures would prevent third-party organizations like The Bail Project from profiting off their charity while restoring personal responsibility to the system.  Below is an excerpt from Mr. Carlisle’s article…

Serious Concerns About The Bail Project and Public Safety
by Cary Carlisle

I write to raise serious concerns about The Bail Project’s practices, especially its policy of posting bail without properly considering an individual’s criminal record, previous failures to appear, or demonstrated risk to the community.  The Bail Project uses a uniform bail approach that treats all defendants similarly, regardless of their past conduct. This method ignores important public safety factors, such as repeat offenses, violent criminal histories, previous bond revocations, and documented patterns of not complying with court orders. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE>>>