California's Bail System Is 'Unsafe And Unfair,' Study Finds
A new report urges the largest state court system in America to phase out the use of commercial bail, calling the system "unsafe and unfair," and replace it with a robust risk-assessment system.
The national effort to get states to move away from a bail system based on money — something detractors call unjust and antiquated — got a big boost this week: A yearlong study backed by the California's Chief Justice recommended money bail be abolished and replaced with a system that includes robust safety-assessments and expanded pretrial services.
Calling the state's commercial bail system "unsafe and unfair," a working group created by California's Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye argues that the state's bail system bases a defendant's liberty too much on his or her finances, rather than an assessment of whether the defendant is a flight or safety risk.
