Texas Senate approves bail bill that would keep more people in jail if they can't post cash bonds

[TexasTowelie]

by Jolie McCullough, Texas Tribune


Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, previously said her Senate Bill 21 is meant to “address the appalling uptick in violent crimes by defendants out on multiple personal bonds,” which don’t require cash up front. The bill passed out of the Senate on a vote of 23-8 and will now head to the House.

Many bail reform advocates have criticized the bill, as well as the governor’s priority legislation in the House, for still relying on a money-based system. Texas’ systems for deciding how to release people from jail while awaiting trial have long been criticized for unfairly keeping poor people locked up simply because they don't have the cash to post bail.

“Requiring more Texans to pay to stay out of jail before trial is unfair, unsafe, and wastes tax dollars,” Nick Hudson, a policy and advocacy strategist with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said after the vote. “This bill doubles down on our broken money bail system and further criminalizes poverty.”

When making bail decisions, courts decide what restrictions are needed to release someone from jail but ensure the defendant comes back to court and does not present a threat to public safety. Most often in Texas, that decision is based on a dollar amount.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/14/texas-bail-legislature/