As long as money is involved in the justice system, injustice will be prevalent. If money is all it takes to get away with doing a crime, rich people would never be accountable for their actions, and poor people will always face severe consequences. Believe it or not, that is how the world works; the poor are often at the receiving end of longer sentences for lesser crimes. But one might wonder, the American justice system is supposed to be the same for everyone; why are then the rich exempt from facing the consequences of their actions? Continue reading this article to learn more about how the bail system is fundamentally flawed and how new bills are trying to reform the same.
The Rude Reality: At the end of the day, number speaks volumes when you go through the prison arrest statistics. Studies show that black men are five times more likely to get arrested than whites. At this point, there is no doubt that the police system is inherently racist. The police force patrol poor and black neighborhoods, arresting people for minor crimes. When it comes to paying a hefty amount of bail, these people fail to accumulate such a sum and therefore spend a longer period in jail.
- For instance, an older man with a prior criminal record is arrested with a charge of a minor offense. Since he has a history of crime, the court decides to set his bail at $600,000. It is impossible for a poor person to pay that much of a sum; therefore, he spends his time in jail. The man is yet to be proven guilty, but since he is not in a capacity to opt for bail, he must stay inside the prison while he waits for the trial.
- On the other hand, rich people often don’t end up in jail, for they are less likely to be suspected of minor offenses. Police don’t feel the need to patrol the posh neighborhood. Even if the rich are arrested, paying off the bail amount is not that big of a deal for the rich.
Reformation of the Bail system: In California, a new law is passed, making it easier for everyone to access bail. The system does not abolish the process of money bail, as those who have the means to pay the bail sum are still allowed to post the bail sum to get out of jail before trial. But the court has taken a stand to provide justice to those who do not have the capacity to pay off their bail. After the bail amount is set, the court is open to listening to pleas from the defendant and reconsidering the amount.
Affordable Bail Services: Thanks to bail bonds services, everyone has a fair chance of getting out of jail pre-trial. At times, a trial can take place after months of getting arrested. All these months, an innocent one would have to spend in jail with other inmates, only to be declared innocent. There is no doubt that the better option is to opt for a fast bail. Various bail bond services in California make it easier for the defendant to post the bail. One has to pay only a percentage of the sum to the Santa Barbara bail bonds services and can walk out free from the prison facility. Each county in California has experienced bail bond services, making it easier for the defendants to locate them and seek help when necessary.