California’s bail system is completely and utterly broken. Our state wastes more than $1.8 billion each year jailing people who are waiting for trial — and ruins the lives of countless people who’ve been accused of a crime but can’t afford exorbitant bail amounts.
New legislation called the California Money Bail Reform Act of 2017 would reform our bail system. Instead of requiring money bail payments in all cases, regardless of a person’s risk, SB 10 and AB 42 would require courts to judge each case individually before setting the terms of release. This reform is a complete no-brainer. And it has a track record of success.