“Freedom should not depend on how much money someone has in their bank account,” Daniels said in a written statement.
The ACLU says cash bail should be eliminated for misdemeanor and some felony charges and courts should be required to compile race-based data for full analysis.
Related: Bill in Ohio House seeks to give judges more say in bail decisions
Related: Why are so many Ohioans in jail? State is trying to find out
A 34-member study group led by the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission in June 2017 recommended reforms to the state’s pretrial system, including cutting back on the reliance on money bail and improving data collection. House Bill 439 reflects some of that committee’s recommendations.
“HB439 aligns Ohio with the national trend in bail and pretrial service reform that recognizes keeping someone in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay the set amount of money bail does not increase public safety,” according to written testimony from Sara Andrews, director of the Criminal Sentencing Commission.
Bail reform is also supported by the Buckeye Institute, a conservative think tank based in Columbus. Buckeye Institute fellow said in his testimony that HB439 would make the system fairer and communities safer.
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Related: Rich buy freedom, poor stay in jail, study on Ohio bail system says
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