A pilot program planned for New York City will now get rid of enormous bail amounts for people who commit low-level, non-violent offenses, replacing them with more sane policies. Karamo Brown and Ana Kasparian (The Point) discuss on The Young Turks. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
*Read more here http://bigstory.ap.org/article/13db62fb0947428499cf007a16c3cc06/apnewsbreak-nyc-eliminate-bail-non-violent-suspects
“Thousands of New Yorkers accused of low-level or non-violent crimes won’t face the prospect of raising cash for bail under a plan that seeks to keep such suspects out of the troubled Rikers Island jail complex.
The $18 million city plan, detailed to The Associated Press ahead of the announcement on Wednesday, allows judges beginning next year to replace money-bail for about 3,000 low-risk defendants with supervision options including regular check-ins, text-message reminders and connecting them with drug or behavioral therapy.
Cash bail has long been criticized by inmate advocates for unfairly targeting poor people. And reforms were recommended by a mayoral task force last year after the AP reported on the case of a mentally ill homeless man who was unable to make $2,500 bail for trespassing and died in a sweltering hot Rikers cell.” *