Bail Reform

Catalog description

Bail practices define who is held in jail in the United States. Most people held in jails are awaiting trial, and most cannot afford to pay a cash bond to secure their release. This seminar will examine the unique system of pretrial detention in the United States, from historical, legal, social, and policy perspectives. We will read leading Supreme Court cases, recent civil rights challenges and judicial rulings regarding bail practices, bail reform legislation, and empirical literature regarding the impacts of pretrial decisions and supervision on people's lives and social outcomes.