Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
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Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#2There shouldn't be fees of ANY kind in the justice system.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#3This is a very interesting data driven article that will make you depressed. I recommend it.
> Technological solutions, like electronic anklets that monitor an individual’s whereabouts, are another option. Even sending text-message reminders to show up in court makes it more likely that a defendant will do so. All these options are cheaper than incarceration.
I hope this gains popularity. Cash bail discriminates against the poor and is unfairly applied (see article); using technological tracking, check-ins, and similar might be a fairer solution that can be applied uniformly.
I would like to say on a more general note: The influence of money in US criminal justice seems to corrupt everything it touches. From prisons, to parole, to representation, to sentencing, and beyond. Everything we can do to get money's influence out of criminal justice we should do.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#4The justice system in the US is skewed towards profit. No real justice can prevail if the system favors money above all.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#5With the ubiquitous tracking technology we have these days, why are we still putting innocent people in jail? It's barbaric and unjust. Give them a GPS bracelet and let them go home or wherever they want. Or have we given up completely on the "innocent until proven guilty" idea?
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#6Bail funds have emerged in many cities to help get people out of jail while they await their trial. If you are interested (and hopefully appalled) by how many people are locked in cages in the United States without being convicted of anything simply because they don't have the money to post bail, please find one and donate to it. Your money can keep working to get many people out of jail long after you donate.
https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#7I'd like to know if anyone can run and start a new life somewhere else. Is it possible?
I suspect Bail is an anachronism in these modern times. 100 years ago you could jump on a train and virtually disappear, never be seen again. Now cops can track people's phone to see exactly where they are at any time of the day.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#8I'd like to know if anyone can run and start a new life somewhere else. Is it possible? I suspect Bail is an anachronism in these modern times. 100 years ago you could jump on a train and virtually disappear, never be seen again. Now cops can track people's phone to see exactly where they are at any time of the day.
If someone really wants to run they can still do so, but the story you hear from everybody who does it is that it's not worth it. You spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder and working petty jobs for cash and living in squalor because the nice places check ID. You also can't contact friends and family anymore. It's a sucky life.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#9With the ubiquitous tracking technology we have these days, why are we still putting innocent people in jail? It's barbaric and unjust. Give them a GPS bracelet and let them go home or wherever they want. Or have we given up completely on the "innocent until proven guilty" idea?
Suppose someone is accused of a mass shooting, murdering their neighbor, beating up their spouse, carjacking, or armed robbery. Right then, off you go; just wear this bracelet...
Doesn't seem particularly reasonable to not incarcerate anyone before trial.
Re: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
#10I'd like to know if anyone can run and start a new life somewhere else. Is it possible? I suspect Bail is an anachronism in these modern times. 100 years ago you could jump on a train and virtually disappear, never be seen again. Now cops can track people's phone to see exactly where they are at any time of the day.
If someone really wants to run they can still do so, but the story you hear from everybody who does it is that it's not worth it. You spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder and working petty jobs for cash and living in squalor because the nice places check ID. You also can't contact friends and family anymore. It's a sucky life.
I suspect Whitey Bulger preferred being on the run to the alternative. If someone decides "it's not worth it" and wants to stop running, all they need to do is turn themselves in. Their revealed preferences suggest that they prefer being on the run.