Across the country, a quiet shift has been taking place inside courtrooms. Judges set a bail amount — $10,000, $25,000, sometimes higher — and then designate it as a “10% to the court” bond. On paper, it looks serious. In practice, it is something very different. A defendant posts just
If you spend any time in the policy space right now, you know the phrase “bail reform” gets thrown around loosely — often without precision, context, or even a shared understanding of what system people are actually talking about. Too often, online debates flatten legal structures into slogans, and misinformation fills
The debate over “zero bail” policies is often conducted at the level of theory. Proponents describe them as modern, equitable, and necessary to reduce reliance on financial conditions. Critics warn of public safety concerns. But beyond rhetoric, what ultimately matters are results. Pretrial policy is not abstract. It shapes real
The legislature now has authority to determine, by category, which accused persons are eligible to lose the right to personal surety. That determination is made at the level of offense classification — not through individualized bail setting, but through legislative designation. Delaware has amended its Constitution to permit preventive detention for
In the debate over bail reform, there is one number that deserves far more attention than it gets: 66.6%. That was the re-offense rate identified in a study examining repeat violent felony offenders released under New York’s revised bail system. Not technical violations. Not missed court dates. New
For years, bail reform advocates argued that eliminating cash bail would reduce incarceration, improve fairness, and enhance public safety. Maryland was held out as a model — a state willing to take the leap and prove the theory worked in practice. Eight years later, the outcome is clear, and it is