The Bail Book: A Comprehensive Look at Bail in America's Criminal Justice System - Introduction

Toward an Optimal Bail System

Few decisions in the criminal justice process are as consequential as the determination of bail. Indeed, recent empirical research finds that pre-trial detention imposes substantial long-term costs on defendants and society. Defendants who are detained before trial are more likely to plead guilty, less likely to be employed, and less likely to access social safety net programs for several years...

Do Bail Information Schemes Really Affect Bail Decisions?

Bail Information Schemes gather and provide information on a defendant’s community ties to the court. Past evaluations have concluded that schemes are effective because more defendants are granted bail. However, the evaluations include possible confounds and other limitations, thus threatening the validity of their findings. They are also incompatible with research showing that magistrates do n...

The Bail - in Puzzle Editorial

Bail-in has become the favorite focal point, or rather the favorite provocative term in the policy debate about bank rescue programs in Europe. For instance, over the past few weeks, the German government has insistently requested a substantial participation of the private sector in any further debt restructuring. Others, like the President of the European Central Bank have vigorously opposed a...

A Prototype Expert System For Making Bail Recommendations

Abstract: The state has multiple interests in the quality of bail decisions. Previous papers (Hassett, 1991, 1990) explored the issue of whether computer technology, specifically expert systems technology, could contribute to improving the quality of pretrial release / detention decisions. Subsequently a prototype expert system which makes bail recommendations was developed using the XiPlus exp...

The Constitutionality of Drug Testing at the Bail Stage