36. Reforming a failed bail system
The majority of Americans who are behind bars are not serving a sentence; they’re awaiting trial. Many of these people were arrested for minor drug possession or driving with a suspended license and couldn’t afford bail. Micah Derry of Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy that seeks to minimize social injustices, talks with us about people spending an average of 28 days in jail while awaiting trial on minor misdemeanor charges. And while these people sit in jail, they lose their jobs, face eviction and confront other hardships. Proposed legislation, S.B. 182, would drastically the change the system for the better.
