Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ohio ACLU Likes Idea Of Bail Reform

shutterstock.com

A bill in the Ohio House attempts to reform the criminal justice system by basing bail on a person's risk to society rather than their financial situation.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio likes the idea but says more should be done to stave off any bias. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

Liberal and conservative groups both want changes in the criminal justice system. But when it comes to a new attempt to change the way bail is determined, the ACLU isn’t quite on board.

 

The bill would attach bail to risk, the lower a person’s risk, the lower the bail.

 

Brickner: “But it could just bless the disparities that are already going on.”

 

The ACLU’s Mike Brickner says, for example, people who fail to appear in court for past offenses earn a higher risk assessment.

 

Brickner: “When you look at the number of fail to appears, you’ll see more people of color, more low income people skewing that number.”

 

Brickner suggests having a list of lower level crimes that are pre-determined to not require bail, unless a prosecutor argues otherwise.

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content