Bail is the process by which criminal defendants secure their release while awaiting trial. It allows people who have been charged with a crime to be released from police custody. In recent years, the criminal justice system has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum because cash bail has come to be imposed on so many criminal defendants. Data increasingly indicate that releasing a defendant pretrial has a significant impact on his long-term prospects.

On July 11, 2016, Alaska Governor Bill Walker (I) signed into law research-driven legislation that aims to deliver a greater public safety return on the state’s spending. The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, an interbranch task force of state and local officials and practitioners, developed the policy foundations for S.B. 91 with technical assistance from The Pew Charitable Trusts as part of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a partnership between Pew and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.

A listing of the latest Delaware criminal justice reform news.

The Florida State Senate contracted with the Crime and Justice Institute in 2017 to build on the Institute’s previous work analyzing trends in the state’s prison population by further examining the state’s criminal justice system, assess other states’ policies and make recommendations to alleviate strains on the system.

The current Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform was created by HB 349 during the 2013 legislative session and requires the Governor to appoint 15 members to the Council. The Council’s charge is to conduct periodic comprehensive reviews of criminal laws, criminal procedure, sentencing laws, adult correctional issues, juvenile justice issues, enhancement of probation and parole supervision, better management of the prison population and of the population in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and other issues relates to criminal proceedings and accountability courts.

After decades of using incarceration as the country’s primary response to crime, leading Republicans and Democrats are embracing safe, fair, and cost-effective prison reform.

As Illinois prepares to elect its next governor, voters should ask the candidates where they stand on this issue and what their vision and goals are for the state’s crowded and under-resourced $1.3 billion prison system.

In June 2017, the Louisiana Legislature passed, and Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law, a package of ten Justice Reinvestment bills.

(In April 2018), Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (right) signed two major pieces of criminal justice legislation that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature: HB 4012 and SB 2371. Together, these bills represent the most significant changes to the state’s criminal justice system in decades.

On May 19, 2016, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) signed into law S.B. 1005, the Justice Reinvestment Act, which advances research-based sentencing and corrections policies. Developed by the bipartisan Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council and passed unanimously in the Senate and with strong support in the House of Delegates, the bill is projected to cut the state’s prison population by almost 1,200 inmates and save an estimated $80.5 million over 10 years