One by one, former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia presidential election interference case turned themselves in for arrest at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.
Poccum’s Law provides a best practice, evidence-based model for bail reform which would have prevented Veronica Nelson’s death in custody.
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro speaks during a Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers’ meeting on bail reform in Ottawa in March 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Those determining bail must reflect on their own beliefs and show restraint as they determine risk to avoid relying on false racist narratives. So should those calling for bail reform.
Indigenous community members outside the Victorian coroners court ahead of the release of a report into the death of Veronica Nelson.
Tamati Smith/Getty Images
Arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and denied bail, Veronica Nelson died alone in a cell. A Victorian coroner has called for urgent reform of the state’s tough bail laws.
A man rushes past the Ontario courthouse in Toronto in May 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
To protect communities, we must improve the likelihood that accused people can comply with their bail conditions by offering greater support on several fronts, from social services to law enforcement.
New York police respond to a shooting in Brooklyn in April 2021, amid a rise in shootings that year.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
A new wave of prosecutors, known as progressives, say that public safety can exist with policies like eliminating cash bail for people charged with low-level offenses.
These funds help people stay out of jail while awaiting trial.
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The median amount of cash bail is $10,000 – an immense sum for people living in poverty. Bail funds, unlike bail bondsmen, don’t charge high fees.
Despite criticism during her first term, progressive prosecutor Kim Foxx won reelection as Cook County state’s attorney by a 14-point margin.
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Reform-minded prosecutors across the US notched victories against traditional law-and-order candidates by running on progressive platforms to reduce mass incarceration and tackle police misconduct.
There’s been an outpouring of giving in honor of Ahmaud Arbery and other victims of racial injustice.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
From thousands of people chipping in as little as $5 to George Floyd’s GoFundMe to donations well in excess of $1 million to HBCUs, anti-racist philanthropy is rising.
Releasing prisoners on remand – who are entitled to a presumption of innocence – would reduce the risk of them contracting COVID-19 and the disease spreading within prisons.
As the movement grows stronger, so does the government’s attempt to stop it.
AAP/Erik Anderson
Proposed new laws will restrict parole and bail to those merely associated in some way with terrorism, even when they have not be arrested for – or convicted of – a specific terrorism offence.
Daniel Andrews has announced reforms to Victoria’s bail laws following the events in Melbourne’s CBD last Friday.
AAP/Angus Livingston
Australia needs to be very careful not to allow the bail system to become a political scapegoat at the hands of commentators exercising 20/20 hindsight.
A harsh criminal justice system – in particular, more prisons and people behind bars – has apparently become a hallmark of good government.
AAP/Dave Hunt
Australia has become less compassionate, more punitive and more ready to blame individuals for their alleged failings since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Bali lures thousands of Australians to live, but Indonesia’s changing approach to immigration will be a hurdle for Bali’s Australian residents.
Dean Lewins/AAP
A recent decision by the Indonesian Immigration Office is set to present challenges to the widely practiced, and popular, ‘visa run’ renewal method.
Questions are being asked about why Man Haron Monis was free on bail, but a witch-hunt is unlikely to improve the process of deciding when to keep an accused person in custody.
AAP/Dean Lewins
The spotlight is on a 2013 decision to grant bail to Man Haron Monis, the man responsible for the Lindt Cafe siege a year later. It must be hoped risk-averse politicians can avoid knee-jerk responses.
Indigenous prisoners perform a welcome ceremony at the 2014 opening of Darwin’s $500 million prison, which is likely to be full by 2018.
AAP/Neda Vanovac
The Northern Territory stands out for having one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world - much higher even than in the US - and it’s hard to argue that this does the community much good.
In recent times, Victoria has reverted to the punitive approach that once filled the Old Melbourne Gaol, with little thought for the long-term consequences.
Flickr/Eva
Victoria was once characterised by low imprisonment rates and innovative corrections policy. The state now has Australia’s highest rate of growth in imprisonment.
Professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies; Associate Dean for Research and International Programs, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University