To the editor: The need of money bail within the American pretrial system is a fallacy, confirmed by our personal work on the Bail Venture, a nationwide nonprofit working to cut back reliance on money bail and pretrial jailing. (“Money bail is unfair, however so is no-cash bail. Some states strike the appropriate steadiness,” letters, Aug. 27)
Since 2018, we’ve paid bail for 30,000 folks. Our shoppers return to greater than 91% of their courtroom dates, laying waste to the concept that money bail is important to make sure somebody returns to courtroom.
However, that is the present, two-tiered system: Former President Trump and his co-defendants can simply pay $200,000 and by no means spend a day contained in the infamous Fulton County Jail, whereas our shoppers can not afford the value of their freedom ($10,000 being the nationwide common) and are compelled to spend months in jail, once they haven’t even been convicted.
We now have a promise of equal justice underneath the legislation. This isn’t it.
Erin George, Philadelphia
The author is nationwide director of coverage on the Bail Venture.
