Bail Reform in America (Hardcover)

Bail reform is one of the few areas of the overburdened criminal justice system in which substantive, measurable changes have occurred since 1961 when the Manhattan Bail Project was formed to help indigent defendants overcome the "unfairness and irrationality of the money bail system." Thomas assesses the various forms of "nonfinancial" pretrial release from simple O.R. (own recognizance) to the more restrictive conditional and custodial release programs. The key piece of legislation thus far is the Federal Bail Reform Act of 1966, put together by the Ervin subcommittee on constitutional rights, under which "the presumption was changed from no O.R. to O.R." Thomas, who would like to see pretrial release become as automatic and non-restrictive as possible, complains that too many "conditions" for high-risk defendants become self-defeating. Surveying the patchwork of state laws, he points to programs in Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Oregon where "police citation" and "deposit bail" (which puts bondsmen out of business) have been introduced with success. On the whole, public fears of defendants skipping out haven't materialized and a consensus seems to be forming that both "cost-effectiveness" (it unclogs detention centers) and simple justice point toward increased use of moneyless alternatives. The question of "preventive detention" for persons deemed especially "dangerous" is a thorny one; Thomas presents both sides, though in general he leans toward opposition to what Sam Ervin terms a "tyrannical practice." Primarily for lawyers and would-be lawyers, but lucid and accessible to concerned laymen. (Kirkus Reviews)

This is a study of major national efforts in the past 15 years to reduce the impact of money, and the lack of it, in determining whether a criminal defendant obtains freedom prior to trial. Thomas offers the results of a national study on bail reform since its beginning with the Manhattan Bail Project of 1961 and a survey of the major operational changes in the bail system since then.

General

Imprint:	University of California Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	1977
First published:	1977
Authors:	Wayne H. Thomas
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	290
ISBN-13:	978-0-520-03131-9
Categories:	Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Criminal law Books > Sport & Leisure > Miscellaneous items > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social groups & communities > Urban communities Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Courts & procedure > General Promotions
LSN:	0-520-03131-8
Barcode:	9780520031319

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