The Price of Freedom: Bail and Pretrial Detention of Low Income Nonfelony Defendants in New York

Abstract

Human Rights Watch believes New York City can go a long way toward addressing the economic inequities of the present bail system by providing supervised pretrial release programs for defendants who are not suitable for release on their own recognizance and who cannot afford bail. Such pretrial supervision would not only honor the presumption of innocence, but would save the city tens of millions of dollars in jail costs.