Bail Fail

[supergee]

Scott Alexander on the horrors of the bail system. We are hearing the radical new suggestion that a large percentage of those charged with crimes could actually be released on their promise to return (and the threat of additional charges if they fail to) with a record of success comparable to those on bail and that family and other ties can be used to determine who qualifies. 50 years ago there were programs that did just that. (I participated in one of them.) They worked.

Comments

[amaebi]

We've been sold on moralistic tropes to the detriment of function and sanity.

[weofodthignen]

I don't know whether it's linked, but there's also this on the bail bonds business.

M