The Bail Book: A Comprehensive Look at Bail in America's Criminal Justice System
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| Anteprima |
Mass
incarceration is one of the greatest social problems facing the United
States today. America incarcerates a greater percentage of its
population than any other country and is one of only two countries that
requires arrested individuals to pay bail to be released from jail while
awaiting trial. After arrest, the bail decision is the single most
important cause of mass incarceration, yet this decision is often
neglected since it is made in less than two minutes. Shima Baradaran
Baughman draws on constitutional rights and new empirical research to
show how we can reform bail in America. Tracing the history of bail, she
demonstrates how it has become an oppressive tool of the courts that
disadvantages minority and poor defendants and shows how we can reform
bail to alleviate mass incarceration. By implementing these reforms, she
argues, we can restore constitutional rights and release more
defendants, while lowering crime rates.
