When You're Broke, Cash Bail Is a Freedom You Can't Afford

This opinion piece by Erin George, national director of policy at The Bail Project, argues that the recently passed Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act — which criminalizes charitable bail funds by treating them like commercial insurance companies — protects a cash bail system that effectively punishes people for being poor rather than dangerous. Drawing on her own family's experience with a brother held in jail because they couldn't afford his release, George contends that cash bail (with a median cost of $10,000) forces people who haven't been convicted of anything to stay locked up, even though most jail admissions are for minor "public order" offenses rather than violent crimes, while commercial bail bond companies extract non-refundable fees that amount to a wealth transfer from those least able to afford it. She cites research showing even brief jail stays can cause lasting financial damage (including nearly $30,000 in lifetime losses from just three days in jail) and cost taxpayers $25 billion annually nationwide, and points to The Bail Project's own results — a 92% court appearance rate among those it helped post bail for free in 2025 — as evidence that cash bail isn't necessary to ensure people return to court. She concludes that cash bail should be recognized not as a neutral legal procedure but as a financial barrier that punishes poverty itself.

Read more at: usatoday.com