Against Bail: End American Pretrial Detention for Non-Violent Offenders Now.

The original purpose of bail was to insure a defendant’s appearance at trial. That’s not how the system works today.

Stone wall with a small barred window. Photo by Michael Jasmund on Unsplash

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, I was a public defender who took cases in the District Courts of Massachusetts. Monday mornings began with bail…