Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer
The Georgia House of Representatives has passed a Republican-supported bill that approves a longer list of criminal offenses requiring cash bail. This will stop any charitable funds from being allowed as bail and send more people charged with misdemeanors to more dangerous prisons. Charitable groups can now only post up to three cash bonds in a year and if they go above this, they will also be charged with a misdemeanor. This is not the first time that Republicans have lengthened the list of crimes that require cash bail, with the current number recently surpassing 24.
Republicans want to make more restrictive bail conditions as well as even harsher and longer sentences for criminals. This desire is mostly fueled by wanting to go against the Democrats’ “soft on crime” notion and make voters feel more “safe” by voting Republican. These new bills will have terrible consequences for those who are low-income, unhoused or have committed low-level crimes. Cash bail as we know it has always been a discriminatory part of our justice system as it keeps poorer minorities stuck in jail because they may not have the funds or the opportunities that others have to pay this cash bail and get out.
Cash bail reform is necessary. Some individuals believe that cash bail reform will lead to our public safety being threatened but this is not the case. Releasing more people does not threaten our safety and the harm that individuals face because of unjust bail systems will no longer be a problem. Holding people for an extended amount of time because they cannot pay their bail leads to these people gaining a criminogenic mindset.
This mindset increases crime and increases rearrest rates. Another point is that cash bail systems usually work on the same basis for everyone and do not take into consideration someone’s circumstances. Reform would allow us to assess every single case and allow for a fair release process. The bill that was passed in Georgia shows how much the criminal justice system needs reform and needs to move forward, not backward.