Hey everyone!
I believe this topic is sensitive and there is no black or white answer covering every situation. Bail, crime, and people in general are fluid and dynamic. The response to crime must be dynamic and fluid as well. Remaining static is not appropriate in our current criminal justice climate. Why am I stating that Cash Bail should NOT be eliminated if I don’t believe we should remain static? Because it is still a viable option in many circumstances.
Cash bail impacts those who can afford the option positively, and those who cannot negatively. It is as simple as that. I work in an area as a police officer that has a high population of immigrants. Around 30-40% of my interactions in these neighborhoods are with undocumented or illegal immigrants. When these portions of the population commit crimes that require an arrest to be made I believe cash bail is appropriate. There is no appropriate or accurate way to identify these individuals and cash bond applies some form of payment for crime if they jump bail and don’t show up for court. This is not a popular view, but a reality of the benefit of cash bail being available. Cash bail does not work best when someone is identifiable, isn’t violent, but cannot afford to post a bond in these situations I believe there are other, better, options. Cash bail is a way to ensure that criminals show up for court to face judgment for their crimes. It benefits both the state and the criminal as a “guarantee” in appropriate and applicable situations.A
In your response to your peers, consider how well they justified their positions, making use of available resources. Consider the following questions in your response posts:
- Did they support their position convincingly using appropriate resources?
- Which of their points make the most sense to you, even if you made a case for the opposing viewpoint?
