SCROLL DOWN
PODCAST
Join Blacklight Investigative Editor Damaso Reyes as he explores how bail reform has changed the face of justice in New York. Click here to download.
The Price of Freedom Part 1: How Bail Became A Way to Jail the Poor
In the U.S., when someone is charged with a crime, judges often have the power to set them free while they await trial or have them held if they fear they will not return to court. But for centuries a third option has existed: bail. Nearly 20% of those held at Rikers have been there between six months and one year; 14% have been held one to two years, and 8% (or nearly 500 people), have been detained at Rikers for more than two years.
The Price of Freedom Part 2: Why Bail Reform Was Needed
Jam-packed facilities, lack of timely medical care, and violence and deaths have all been part of what has for decades made Rikers Island a destination to be avoided at any cost. But as horrific as Rikers and other jails are, the need for such facilities exists in part because so many people are held in pretrial detention unable to afford bail—sometimes set at just a few hundred dollars.
The Price of Freedom Part 3: Freedom from Fear of Crime
Before bail reform passed in 2019, tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year fell into this last group, often after being accused of misdemeanor crimes like stealing food from a bodega or buying, selling or being in possession of small amounts of drugs including marijuana, until it was decriminalized in New York. The only consideration allowed for judges when deciding to set bail is the likelihood that the accused will return to court.
This series was made possible with the support of a grant from Columbia University’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights in conjunction with Arnold Ventures. Editing support was provided by Type Investigations.