Across America, families are asking a simple question: Who is protecting the victims?

When someone is arrested and accused of a crime, the case has not yet been decided. But while a case is pending, the justice system still has a responsibility to protect the community, ensure defendants return to court, and take reasonable steps to prevent additional harm.

We believe accountability must not stop at the jailhouse door.

In communities across the United States, concerns have grown over the use of cashless, unsecured, and other forms of release that may allow defendants to return to the community without a meaningful financial obligation attached to their release. In cases involving individuals with significant criminal histories, prior failures to appear, or allegations of serious offenses, victims and families deserve to know that public safety is being taken seriously.

The consequences of inadequate pretrial safeguards can extend far beyond the courtroom. When a person released before trial is subsequently accused of another offense, another victim can be created while the original case is still pending.

We cannot ignore those victims.

This petition is not about eliminating due process or the presumption of innocence. It is about creating a pretrial system that balances constitutional rights with the safety of victims, witnesses, families, and communities.

We are calling on state and federal policymakers to:

• End or substantially limit unsecured and cashless release policies for defendants who present significant public-safety or flight risks.

• Require individualized consideration of a defendant’s criminal history, prior failures to appear, pending cases, and alleged offense when determining conditions of release.

• Strengthen accountability for defendants who commit new offenses or repeatedly violate conditions of release while their cases are pending.

• Ensure victims and their families have a meaningful voice and access to information regarding pretrial release conditions when permitted by law.

• Preserve due process and the presumption of innocence while ensuring that public safety is a central consideration in pretrial decisions.

• Collect and publicly report data on pretrial releases, failures to appear, violations of release conditions, and rearrests so communities can evaluate whether these policies are working.

The goal is not to keep every defendant behind bars. The goal is to ensure that release comes with appropriate accountability.

There are legitimate debates about the effectiveness of different forms of pretrial release. Federal and state research has found differing outcomes depending on the jurisdiction, defendant population, and type of release. That is precisely why policy should be based on transparent data and individualized risk rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

But one principle should remain constant:

Victims should never become an afterthought in the pursuit of criminal justice reform.

We stand for a justice system that protects constitutional rights and recognizes the rights and safety of victims.

We stand for accountability.

We stand for transparency.

We stand for public safety.

And we are asking lawmakers across America to listen to victims, examine the data, and take action to ensure that pretrial release policies do not unnecessarily place additional people at risk.

Sign this petition if you believe accountability and public safety must remain essential parts of America's pretrial justice system.

Protect victims. Strengthen accountability. Reform bail.