The Misinformation Problem in the Bail Debate

Christopher Blaylock

18 Feb 2026 — 2 min read

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 gaps. For those of us working directly with licensed bail agents and engaging legislators across the country, that lack of clarity has real-world consequences.

That’s why I think this piece by Eric Granof is worth your time. In his article, “Trying to Understand Bail Reform and Cashless Bail in the Age of Online Misinformation,” published on Bail Reform, Truth & Propaganda, Eric cuts through the noise and focuses on the structural differences between policy models — and how public narratives often distort those differences.

You can read the full article here: Trying to Understand Bail Reform and Cashless Bail in the Age of Online Misinformation

Here’s an excerpt that captures the core of his argument:

“In today’s digital environment, complex legal frameworks are reduced to hashtags and headlines. ‘Cash bail’ becomes a catch-all phrase, and reform proposals are debated in echo chambers where nuance rarely survives. The result is a public conversation that often bears little resemblance to how pretrial systems actually function — or the incentives embedded within them.”

It’s a thoughtful contribution to an increasingly crowded conversation — and one that reinforces the importance of engaging policy discussions with facts, structure, and a clear understanding of how these systems operate in practice.

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The 10% Illusion: How “Deposit Bonds” Undermine Accountability

Zero Bail and Real-World Consequences

Delaware’s Constitutional Amendment and the Erosion of the Right to Personal Surety

The 66.6% Problem: What New York’s Bail Experiment Revealed