Don’t blame bail reform for higher crime, NYC watchdog says
NEW YORK — Two years ago, New York joined a growing number of states scaling back the use of cash bail for criminal defendants. The report’s release comes as some New York officials have considered rolling back bail reforms, which were enacted as part of an effort to address the inequity of poor people being jailed because they couldn’t afford bail, while wealthier people accused of the same crimes went free. The plan, first reported last week by the New York Post, calls for allowing judges to consider a defendant’s criminal history and use of firearms when setting bail, making certain gun crimes and attacks on subway riders and workers eligible for detention, and allowing police to arrest repeat offenders for low-level crimes that would otherwise warrant an appearance ticket. Mayor Eric Adams, a former New York City police captain who has also called for changes to bail reform, said New York is the only state that doesn’t allow judges to weigh a defendant’s criminal history when setting bail. “The data on bail reform speaks for itself: The overwhelmingly majority of New Yorkers on pretrial release do not commit new crimes and return for future court appearances.” The city comptroller’s analysis, based on data from the city and the nonprofit New York City Criminal Justice Agency, found that re-arrest rates in the city haven’t changed much since the reforms.
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