The Status of Bail Reform in California

• In Event: Bail & Pretrial Justice Developments in Southern California

Abstract

Over the last ten years, in response to high rates of pretrial detention and increased attention to the discriminatory impacts of the money bail system, more than 30 jurisdictions throughout the United States have enacted reforms. However, despite the efforts of policymakers and advocates, California has been unable to enact statewide reform, and although there have been some county-level reforms, these have been piecemeal and vary significantly in the extent to which they have addressed the problems with money bail and pretrial detention in the state. This paper reviews the recent history of bail reform in California, discussing the failed attempt at legislative reform, SB 10 as well as the California Supreme Court decision in In re Humphrey, which had the potential to significantly impact bail decision-making in the state. It then turns to the county level and examines the efforts of several counties to reform their bail systems

Author

• Christine Scott-Hayward, California State University, Long Beach