Press Contact: Devin McMahon, Manager of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to end “cashless bail.” This refers to pretrial reforms designed to ensure that no one is held in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay for their freedom.
The Bail Project’s Chief Executive Officer, David Gaspar, issued the following statement in response:
“Efforts to expand pretrial detention or restrict so-called ‘cashless bail’ are dangerous, counterproductive, and out of step with the evidence.
The data is clear: studies comparing jurisdictions with and without bail reform have found no link between reform and increased crime. Bail reforms have sought to undo the two-tiered system of justice created by cash bail where wealth, not safety, determines who goes free. People with money can pay bail – no matter the risk they pose – while those without are forced to remain in jail, even if they pose no risk at all.
The president is right that the current system is broken, but wrong about the solutions. Across the country, bail reform is working: reforms have reduced unnecessary jail time, strengthened court appearance rates, and made communities safer. And even in jurisdictions with ‘cashless bail,’ judges still maintain the power to detain individuals when there are real concerns about safety or flight risk – they just can’t do it by setting an unaffordable price tag on someone’s freedom. What gets lost in the debate are the untold tens of thousands who were released, returned to court, and resolved their cases safely – evidence that our communities are stronger when justice is not for sale.
Despite claims to the contrary, bail reform is not about letting people off the hook. It’s about replacing a wealth-based system with one rooted in fairness, due process, and evidence. If President Trump truly wants to ‘Make America Great Again,’ he should strengthen the values that define our justice system – fairness, equality, and the presumption of innocence.”
Thank you for your valuable attention. The urgency and complication of the cash bail crisis requires meaningful participation to create real change – change that is only achieved through the support of readers like you. Please consider sharing this piece with your networks and donating what you can today to sustain our vital work.
