Problems:

• The Phillipines and the U.S. are the only two countries that allow for-profit bail

 

 

• The majority of those in jail have not been convicted of a crime

• The majority of those jail do not spend more than a month. Regardless, this could cause individuals to lose their job among other things.

• Create proper pretrial interventions for individuals suffering from mental health

Solutions:

• Release defendants that are charged with a misdemeanor

• Review felonies on a case by case basis while those defendants with a violent charge could face higher bonds, stricter penalties and time behind bars if needed before the trial

Texas Constitution
Code of Criminal Procedure
Chapter 17 – Bail

Daily Kos – New Jersey passes new bail reform law, changing lives of poor defendants

Marshall Project – When Freedom Isn’t Free – The bail industry wants to be your jailer.

Marshall Project – The Problem with NYC’s Bail Reform

NCSL – Bail and Pretrial Release: FAQ

ACLU – The Cost of Imprisoning America’s Poor

Slate – Is Bail Unconstitutional?

Texas Observer – How Harris County’s Indigent Defense System Works Great – For Everyone but the Indigent

Texas Observer – Study: In Harris County, Poor Defendants Get More Time

Houston Chronicle – Judges leery of no-cost personal bonds

Statesman – Travis County leads Texas in personal bond releases

Statesman – Texas Judicial Council says bail reform could save $190 million a year

Brennan Center – Paying for Your Time: How Charging Inmates Fees Behind Bars May Violate the Excessive Fines Clause

Huffington Post – Fines, Fees, and Bail: An Overlooked Part of the Criminal Justice System That Disproportionately Impacts the Poor

Bismarck Tribune – Montana goes the right way with reforms

University of Pennsylvania Law School – Cash bail system damages defendants, may harm public safety

Municipal:

Dallas News – Why Dallas County can set $150,000 bail for a $105 shoplifting charge — and how taxpayers lose

Washington Post – When it comes to pretrial release, few other jurisdictions do it D.C.’s way

The Lens – New Orleans City Council eliminates bail requirements for most petty crimes

Mecklenburg County Recognized as Model for Pretrial Reform

Houston Chronicle – New Fort Bend defender’s office will make process more efficient

Houston Chronicle – Harris County being eyed for bail reform

Houston Chronicle – DA expands pretrial diversion for shoplifting, certain drug cases

Houston Chronicle – Study: Inmates who can’t afford bond face tougher sentences

Houston Chronicle – Hundreds of indigent inmates jailed for months pretrial

Houston Chronicle – Public defender office plan worries some Harris judges

Houston Press – Why the Harris County Jail is Overcrowded With Legally Innocent People

Houston Chronicle – Proposal for public defender in Fort Bend faces uphill battle

Houston Chronicle – For those accused in Harris County, it’s time to right a legal wrong

Houston Chronicle – Rights group suing New Orleans over public defender shortage

A Cost Analysis of the Bexar County, Texas, Jail Diversion Program

Next City – U.S. Cities Are Looking for Alternatives to Cash Bail

Next City – City Jails With the Right Fix-It Plans Could Get Millions of Dollars