Bail System Research Paper

The United States bail system was built based on a system that was created in England during the Middle Ages and has evolved since then to what we know today. It still holds flaws that should’ve been settled a long time ago. Many believe that it’s needed because criminals might be a flight risk or a threat to public safety. Although that may be true, there are many cases where it’s exploited against the poor and utilized to the sole purpose of benefiting the rich. There are many other alternatives that have been proposed to put an end to our bail system, that at the same time will save taxpayers money and put an end to our useless Money Bail System. Change is essential as humanity continues to advance forward in life, nothing stays the same

Nevertheless, It doesn’t just affect them. It affects their family and the community they are in. Spending time in jail before trial puts individuals in a dreadful situation which increases stress and financial problems including loss of employment, education, and even housing. Individuals who are sitting in jail are usually thinking that fragments of their lives are still unfolding while they are not present which creates fear and extreme worriness. Incarceration is not something that everyone can handle. Defendants that have never been in jail before are in a new environment that they are just not used too and aren’t comfortable in which really puts them in a gloomy hole, defendants that cannot post bail are at a disadvantage when it comes to helping their attorneys. Which is another way the rich benefit from having a Money based bail system. Families also suffer because of how our system functions. Putting a family member in jail until their trial is over may take months and sometimes longer. Which puts many families in unforeseen situations. Most families aren’t stable enough to deal with such a problem. Especially color communities. Pretrial detention increases the the chances of a conviction. Just by knowing this is enough for any person to realize that our bail system is increasing convictions in poor communities which as a result increase prison population and create irreversible damage to a person’s life. Many individuals who are in jail awaiting for trial are only thinking about regaining their freedom and have spent too long in jail, when prosecutors threaten and tell defendants that pleading guilty will get them a lesser punishments it leads to many of them taking the deal. They spend so long in jail that their minds get used to the mentally that they just want to get out no matter what, even if they are innocent they are still likely