DISCUSSION
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
The United States appears to be an outlier among developed countries in maintaining a system of commercialized bail. Based on your research and review of the course content this week, what are your preliminary thoughts about our current system of bail in the United States? As part of your discussion, research (online or in-person) one bail bond company and share your insights regarding your perception of the quality of its services.
The current system of bail in the U.S is losing its way because of its inequalities toward the poor people, therefore, resulting in various bodies stepping in to fight for the poor (Grubb & Hemby, 2018). Compared to rich people who quickly pay for their bails and then leave the prisons as per their wish, it is hard for poor people to settle their bails. The poor people end up finding themselves serving prison terms due to being unable to settle the bonds. Data has proved that 95% of people serving jail terms are from low-income families. The justice systems nowadays operate on wealth, therefore, jailing the poor people who are unable to purchase freedom. Depending on the charges and circumstances before court hearings concerning the crimes committed, a person may have to pay the amount of bond to be released. Some people believe that the system of bail is excellent. Nevertheless, the opposite is true. I believe bond was introduced to ensure that people show up for their trial dates even though there is no statistical evidence. Besides, bails were established to ensure that there were no committing crimes upon being discharged. Data, however, indicates that people held long in prisons are likely to commit more criminal activities. Before being charged with anything, I believe giving bails to people to be free is an injustice. Even though bail helps in making sure that the defendant appears in courts, it is not an assurance. No statistical data shows that bonds ensure that people show up for their hearing dates as they can decide to go or not to go (Grubb & Hemby, 2018). Therefore, there should be excellent solutions with lesser risks.
Reference
Grubb, R. E., & Hemby, K. V. (2018). Effective Communication in Criminal Justice. SAGE Publications.