Balancing Risk: Examining the Catch-and-Release Phenomenon in the Canadian Bail System

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

The bail system must balance safeguarding the rights of accused whilst ensuring community safety. Recent public discourse has criticized bail as a lenient, “catch-and-release” system, whereby accused quickly return to custody for new offenses after being granted bail. Using a risk framework, this study examines the accuracy of "catch-and-release" narratives and assesses how risk perceptions shape bail practices. Drawing on interviews with 33 bail supervisors who monitor accused in the community across 19 jurisdictions in Ontario, Canada, this study asks: a) To what extent are narratives of “catch-and-release” bail accurate?; and b) What public policy implications can be drawn from the insights of bail supervisors?. Findings from this research will illuminate how risk governance may perpetuate or prevent “catch-and-release” scenarios, as well as the “risks” associated with catch-and-release bail and how these risks arise and manifest. Implications for public policy will also be discussed.

Author

• Alexandra Crowley, University of Guelph