4 ms·

They have been making arrests but the D.A. releases on $0 bail the next day. So theses criminals just go right back at it.

ameister14 5y ago
Until they are convicted, sure - the problem with cash bail is of course that it's a 3:1 ratio of unconvicted to convicted people in jail at any given time and it massively disproportionately affects the poor. The average person unable to make bail has a salary of around 14k; the average bail is set at $10,000. You're a retail worker making 26k a year. You're arrested, and can't come up with $1,000 to get a bond, so you stay in jail for a couple of weeks, lose your job and get evicted. Now the prosecutor comes to you with a choice: take a plea deal and get out now with time served or go to court - the court date is of course in a month and you'll have to stay in jail over that period. Innocent until proven guilty matters.
- ajsnigrutin 5y ago
  So, make the whole judical process faster, especially for simple crimes.
sudosysgen 5y ago
That's not how it works. They're going to have bail and will probably pay it no matter what. People shouldn't be imprisoned until their trial outside exceptional circumstances. Stealing packages doesn't qualify.
- stjohnswarts 5y ago
  Dangerous people should be jailed and flight risks should be jailed. Everything else is just a bail bond racket and power play by prosecutors. If the "charged" commits another crime or breaks the limits of his "freedom" they should go right back to the slammer until their court date.
  - heavyset_go 5y ago
    Petty thieves are hardly dangerous people. They aren't hijacking trains at gunpoint.
    - asdff 5y ago
      A lot of these rail thefts in particular are organized by gang members.
      - heavyset_go 5y ago
        Then keep them in jail after they're charged with actual dangerous crimes instead of jailing them before their trial preemptively for petty theft.
        asdff 5y ago
        That's the thing, these people aren't being taken to trial either.

ameister14 5y ago

Until they are convicted, sure - the problem with cash bail is of course that it's a 3:1 ratio of unconvicted to convicted people in jail at any given time and it massively disproportionately affects the poor. The average person unable to make bail has a salary of around 14k; the average bail is set at $10,000. You're a retail worker making 26k a year. You're arrested, and can't come up with $1,000 to get a bond, so you stay in jail for a couple of weeks, lose your job and get evicted. Now the prosecutor comes to you with a choice: take a plea deal and get out now with time served or go to court - the court date is of course in a month and you'll have to stay in jail over that period. Innocent until proven guilty matters.

ajsnigrutin 5y ago
So, make the whole judical process faster, especially for simple crimes.

sudosysgen 5y ago

That's not how it works. They're going to have bail and will probably pay it no matter what. People shouldn't be imprisoned until their trial outside exceptional circumstances. Stealing packages doesn't qualify.

stjohnswarts 5y ago
Dangerous people should be jailed and flight risks should be jailed. Everything else is just a bail bond racket and power play by prosecutors. If the "charged" commits another crime or breaks the limits of his "freedom" they should go right back to the slammer until their court date.
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  Petty thieves are hardly dangerous people. They aren't hijacking trains at gunpoint.
  - asdff 5y ago
    A lot of these rail thefts in particular are organized by gang members.
    - heavyset_go 5y ago
      Then keep them in jail after they're charged with actual dangerous crimes instead of jailing them before their trial preemptively for petty theft.
      - asdff 5y ago
        That's the thing, these people aren't being taken to trial either.