The Cash Bail system is being reconsidered by various state governments in the United States. Here is a perspective on why the cash bail system can be a problematic factor in criminal justice reform.
According to AmericanProgress.org spending less than a week in jail can cause a person to lose their job, housing, and even custody of their children. The cash bail system, in some ways, criminalizes poverty as people who are unable to afford bail are confined for weeks or months while awaiting trial. The cash bail system perpetuates inequities in the justice system that are disproportionately experienced by impoverished communities and people of color.
Ending cash bail could result in reforming the pre-trial process, upholding the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty REGARDLESS of your income. Many people who are detained to await trial are forced to remain imprisoned before they are ever legally proven guilty in a court of law.
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