Pretrial release for nonviolent inmates frees up much-needed jail space, saves taxpayers millions of dollars, and still ensures that individuals accused of a crime show up to court. But due to a powerful national lobby of bondsmen, pretrial programs are facing dramatic cuts across the country. Stand up to the bondsmen lobby; tell your representative that you support pretrial release in your district.

The premise of pretrial release is simple: interview all criminal court defendants who can't afford to post bail to determine whether they qualify for early release. If they do, send them out with ankle bracelets (or a similar monitoring device) and keep them under close supervision. The program's eligibility requirements are strict: only those defendants "accused of minor crimes who can demonstrate that they live the community and pose no threat of flight or danger to the community at large" are considered.

And the benefits are numerous. Pretrial release allows qualified detainees to seek meaningful employment in their neighborhoods, supporting their families and contributing positively to their communities. Taxpayers win, too, saving millions each year; in Broward County, Florida, jail costs $115 a day per inmate, while their pretrial program costs only $7.
 
Pretrial release isn't just a criminal justice issue -- it's a race issue, too. More people are in prison for nonviolent drug offenses alone than for crimes of violence, and African-Americans make up 62% of drug offenders in state prisons. Research finds that "state Black male imprisonment rates increase child poverty through reducing the likelihood that the child's father lives with the family and reducing the income in two-parent families." Letting nonviolent defendants return home to support their families isn't just smart economics -- it's part of the solution to ending child poverty in African-American communities.

But bondsmen across America believe that pretrial release programs are stealing their business. With paid lobbyists and deep wallets, they're targeting pretrial programs across the nation, even lobbying Congress on Capitol Hill.

Fight the powerful bondsmen lobby, and help shape a better criminal justice system. Support pretrial release.

Photo credit: rioncm