Title
Resolution supporting bail reform in Lake County.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, money bail, sometimes called cash bail or a secured bond, is a system of pretrial release in which an individual who has been accused but not found guilty of a crime can "temporarily" pay a fee to be released from custody prior to additional court proceedings or trial; and
WHEREAS, Proponents of the pretrial release system have characterized the use of money bail as a way to maximize release, enhance public safety, and ensure prompt and regular appearances in court; however, research demonstrates money bail is unnecessary and ineffective; jurisdictions that enacted bail reform and no longer rely on money bail have excellent court appearance rates, fewer people in jail, and strong public safety outcomesi; and
WHEREAS, the National Association of Black County Officials, the National Association of Counties, the American Bar Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and others have condemned the money bail system as a system that discriminates against the poorii; and
WHEREAS, 90 percent - 95 percent of the individuals incarcerated in the Lake County Jail are pretrial inmates, meaning that they have not been convicted of the alleged crime and are merely awaiting a court proceeding or trial. In Lake County, and nationally, 75 percent of these individuals most serious alleged charge are property, drug, or other non-violent offensesiii. Nationally, pretrial inmates accounted for 95 percent of the growth of jail population over the last twenty yearsiv; and
WHEREAS, recent court decisions have ruled that the incarceration of individuals who cannot afford money bail without meaningful consideration of other alternatives is a violation of due process and equal protectionv; and
WHEREAS, research has shown that individuals who are incarcerated pretrial are more likely to plead guilty, be convicted of a felony, receive longer sentences, get...
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