Cash bail reform — Inquirer Letter 3–2

Illinois ended cash bail last week. Cash bail is a tool used to keep poor people incarcerated while people of means wait for their lawyers to get their sentences reduced. The bail bond industry devours innocent poor people’s life savings while they await adjudication. Ending cash bail is an important part of criminal justice reform. If Illinois had done this three months ago, Attorney General William Barr and his Justice Department would be suing Illinois right now on behalf of the bail bond industry. Biden is a far cry from being the progressive many of us wanted and is unlikely to follow Illinois’ lead. However, there is relief in knowing that the whole weight of the federal government is not being used to fight every positive step we could be taking.

Nate Craig, Phoenixville, natecra@gmail.com