COMMENTARY Archives

Donate to reunite a family today.

A family like Sandra’s. Read her story below.

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Donate to bring someone home today.

Someone like Robert. Read his story below.

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Donate to pay someone’s bail today.

Someone like Michael. Read his story below.

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Donate to pay someone’s bail today.

Someone like Ashley. Read her story below.

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Donate to bring someone home today.

Someone like Sherry. Read her story below.

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COMMENTARY POLICY

USA Today: When You’re Broke, Cash Bail Is a Freedom You Can’t Afford

As Americans struggle with rising costs, the justice system imposes one of the most extreme financial demands imaginable: money for freedom.

Erin GeorgeJune 29, 2026

COMMENTARY LEARN

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Nonprofits Sit on a Gold Mine of Stories. It’s Time to Use Them.

Storytelling can reveal behavioral patterns and systemic failures that quantitative metrics often miss.

David GasparApril 10, 2026

COMMENTARY

Podcast: Hello Houston

New data shows that Harris County’s move away from cash bail for most misdemeanors is a "win-win-win."

The Bail ProjectMarch 16, 2026

COMMENTARY POLICY

Houston Chronicle: Will Prop 3 Protect Texans’ Rights or Pack Texas Jails?

In a new Houston Chronicle op-ed, Emma Stammen warns that Texas’s Prop 3 must protect due process, not pack jails.

Emma StammenJanuary 27, 2026

COMMENTARY

Podcast: What People Get Wrong About Bail Reform

Erin George shares the bail misconceptions she encounters most often and talks through what The Bail Project is seeing in communities nationwide.

The Bail ProjectDecember 19, 2025

COMMENTARY POLICY

Common Dreams: Illinois Proved Bail Reform Works; Washington Wants to Undermine It

Illinois did not just pass bail reform with the Pretrial Fairness Act—it built a safer, fairer, and more lasting pretrial system. Other states should take note.

Erin GeorgeOctober 14, 2025

Ben Denzer's image for The New York Times

COMMENTARY LEARN

The New York Times: One Concrete Way to Make the Justice System Fairer

Trump recently declared bail reform is contributing to a public safety “emergency” in Washington, but research says otherwise.

David GasparOctober 2, 2025

COMMENTARY LEARN

The Sacramento Bee: Keep California’s Bail Decisions in California, Not Washington D.C.

Bail decisions should be kept to the states, not the federal government. Federal overreach regarding cashless bail is a mistake.

Josh MitmanSeptember 19, 2025

COMMENTARY

Podcast: David Gaspar Explains Why Bail Reform Is a Matter of Justice

In this episode of the Everyday Injustice podcast, David Gaspar discusses how cash bail criminalizes poverty, trauma, and mental illness.

The Bail ProjectSeptember 15, 2025

Using the term "cashless bail" is a scare tactic.

COMMENTARY LEARN

USA Today: Bail Reform Works. Don’t Fall for “Cashless Bail” Scare Tactics.

Politicians play tough on crime. The truth is, bail reform works.

David GasparSeptember 15, 2025

Donate to reunite a family today.

A family like Sandra’s. Read her story below.

Donate to bring someone home today.

Someone like Robert. Read his story below.

Donate to pay someone’s bail today.

Someone like Michael. Read his story below.

Donate to pay someone’s bail today.

Someone like Ashley. Read her story below.

Donate to bring someone home today.

Someone like Sherry. Read her story below.

COMMENTARY

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