A Closer Look at Who Benefits from Bail Reform

If you keep up with the news you have no doubt heard and read plenty about the issue of bail reform. Typically you get a one-sided view of the topic that tows the so-called ‘progressive’ line about the many benefits of eliminating bail bonds. That general argument goes something like this: once the ‘travesty’ of bail is eliminated rich and poor, black and white will all finally be equal before the law. Everyone will then benefit because, after all, a just society is a peaceful and prosperous society. But, while the marketing sure makes bail reform sound like a good idea, the fact is only a select few are actually benefiting from it. So who exactly are those select few?

The Stark Reality of Bail Bonding Reforms

Statistics paint a grim picture of the effects of bail reform. In states that have eliminated bail...

• Crime rates are up significantly
• The number of repeat offenders is skyrocketing
• The number of court no-shows is also skyrocketing
• And taxpayers are footing the bill for hugely expensive and largely ineffective high-tech tracking systems

All this begs an important question: “If this is the case, then who is actually benefiting from bail reform?” Let’s take a cold light of day look at the answer.

Politicians

Politicians embrace issues like bail reform because it makes them seem like they care. Even though most of today’s mayors and governors are millionaires safely ensconced behind taxpayer-provided security details they like to give the impression that they care about ‘the little guy’. Since many of the people in jail come from economically depressed areas embracing bail reform can buy a savvy politician some votes in these areas. And that’s all they really care about.

The Lobbyists

The unseen force behind the bail reform ‘movement’ lobbyists travel the country working for various non-profits. They fly into places like Colorado and fan out into Jefferson County, Arapahoe County or Denver County pulling politicians aside, promising them an easy legislative victory as well as valuable photo ops that can be used during the re-election campaign. All the politician has to do is sign on to bail reform. These lobbyists typically have no connection to the local community, care about nothing except padding their resumes and pull up stakes and leave town as soon as the inmates start to get released from the prisons.

The Arnold Foundation

The non-profit Arnold Foundation was started by a former executive of the disgraced Enron Corporation. That man, John Arnold, started it as a way to shelter money from the taxman. But non-profits need a mission, a reason for being, or they soon lose their non-profit status. Arnold decided bail reform was an easy target no one was paying much attention to. So he hired some computer programmers to develop an algorithm designed to replace the cash bail system. Then his lobbyists went around the country selling this instant justice app to gullible lawmakers. Unfortunately, the Arnold algorithm has proved an unmitigated disaster and Arnold, in an attempt to distance himself from the chaos he’s caused, has changed the name of the foundation to ‘Arnold Ventures’ and made it a for-profit organization.

Accused Criminals

No one benefits more from the chaos created by the anti-bail zealots than the accused. To a degree, this was the point all along. But the reality has turned out to be very different from the promise. The promise was thousands of innocent victims of the bondsman and his evil allies would be returned to the arms of their loving families. The reality is dangerous criminals are being set free nationwide to prey on the unsuspecting. Bail reformers defend their questionable crusade by stating that only ‘non-violent’ defendants are being released. But let’s take a look at some of the non-violent offenders currently being set free in states like New York:

• Those accused of second-degree manslaughter
• Those accused of making terrorist threats
• Those accused of aggravated vehicular assault
• People who fail to register as a sex offender
• People accused of criminally negligent homicide
• Drug dealers
• Serial Burglars

And perhaps most appallingly, those accused of promoting or processing an obscene act by a child or promoting a sexual performance by a child. Bail reformers say that such people are actually victims if they can’t post bail. So all such individuals are now being released onto the streets of New York simply on the promise that they will turn up for their court date. Does that seem right to you?

Cuomo for President

New York State where cash bail bonding was all but eliminated on January 1, 2020, just published statistics show a spike in criminal activity beginning right after the first of the year. Some types of crime are up more than 70% and New York’s Police Commissioner lays it all at the feet of bail reform. But while the commissioner is no fan of Governor Andrew Cuomo (who championed bail reform in New York) there are others who are.

One of them is Jose Jorge. Jorge is a 47-year-old drug dealer arrested late last year for causing the death of a man who overdosed on the poison Jorge was selling. He was being held without bail awaiting trial. When January 1, 2020, rolled around, however, Jorge was released when the new bail reform law came into effect. On his way out of court toward freedom, Jorge yelled “Cuomo for President!” A sentiment no doubt shared by many of his criminal compatriots.