Congressman Davis introduces the Bail Fairnes Act of 2018

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS JOIN CONGRESSMAN DANNY K. DAVIS FOR INTRODUCTION OF THE BAIL FAIRNESS ACT

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Ranking Member of the Human Resources Subcommittee on the House Ways and Means Committee will introduce the Bail Fairness Act of 2018. At any given time there are roughly 500,000 people sitting in local jails awaiting their day in court. These are people who have been charged with a crime but are not convicted. Many of the people waiting in jail are forced to wait simply because they cannot afford to post bail.

Davis said, “I am introducing the Bail Fairness Act of 2018, which will require that states release persons charged with a non-violent misdemeanor on nonmonetary conditions only prior to court adjudication.

The cash bail system is coming under increased scrutiny by civil rights and criminal justice reform groups. Some cities around the country have already done away with the cash bail system for those non-violent misdemeanors as groups argue that it is unfair and unduly harsh on poor or otherwise disadvantaged individuals.

A summary of the BFA2018 can be viewed here.