Bail Burden Keeps U.S. Jails Stuffed With Inmates

[Modbert]

Bail Burden Keeps U.S. Jails Stuffed With Inmates : NPR

Leslie Chew spent his childhood working long days next to his father on the oil rigs of southern Texas. No school meant he never learned to read or write. Now in his early 40s, he's a handyman, often finding a place to sleep in the back of his old station wagon.

But he got by — until one night in December 2008 when the station wagon got cold, and he changed the course of his life.

"Well, I stole some blankets to try to stay warm," he says quietly. "I walked in and got them and turned around and walked right back out of the store. [The security guard] said, 'Excuse me, sir, come here. Are you planning to pay for these?' I said, 'No, sir. I don't have no money.' That's when he arrested me right then."

When I first spoke to Chew last summer, he'd been inside the Lubbock County jail since the night he was arrested: 185 days, more than six months.

Chew is like one of more than a half-million inmates sitting in America's jails — not because they're dangerous or a threat to society or because a judge thinks they will run. It's not even because they are guilty; they haven't been tried yet.

They are here because they can't make bail — sometimes as little as $50. Some will wait behind bars for as long as a year before their cases make it to court. And it will cost taxpayers $9 billion this year to house them.

On this day that I met him, Chew's bail is $3,500. He would need to leave that much as a cash deposit with the court to leave jail. Or he could pay a bail bondsman a $350 nonrefundable fee to do it for him. If he had either amount, he could stand up and walk out the door right now. But he doesn't.

The money, says Chew, "is like a million dollars to me."

Only a portion of the first part of what stands to be a third part tackle of this issue.

It's a long read, yes, but it's well worth it. The numbers are staggering and so are the effects of this.

 

[chanel]

Fuck em

 

[Ravi]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

 

[dilloduck]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

He doesn't like you either

 

[Modbert]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

 

[Ravi]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

Well...I don't know if anyone knew.

I would hope we could all agree that this is a travesty of justice and the costs incurred are beyond what we should be paying.

 

[Ravi]

Funny that this thread hasn't gotten much notice. I wonder why that is?

 

[Modbert]

Funny that this thread hasn't gotten much notice. I wonder why that is?

It doesn't have anything to do with partisan politics. People love a good argument. If you take a look at my thread history, threads which would make great discussions are ignored for the threads that have potential for partisan politics. It's a good case study for this board at the very least.

 

[Yurt]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

what? the bail bondsman only requires 10% and that makes him an asshole? he didn't set bail....he is doing the guy a favor...

there are plenty of other options available to thsi person than stealing the blankets. churches, homeless organizations etc....there simply is no reason to steal a blanket when he could easily have recieved a place to stay or free clothes and blankets from orgs that help people with no money....

if he had no access to those orgs and not having those blankets was basically life and death, then a different story

 

[keee keee]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

we should deport all the illegals in our prison systems and the other illegal that are here breaking our laws coming and being here.

 

[AkronGuy]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

1. He broke the law.

2. He's homeless.

3. He's stupid for not invoking or for waiving his speedy trial rights.

4. And how the bondsman is the biggest fucking asshole ? He contributes to society, saves taxpayer money, and helps save taxpayer money.

To sum it up, the man is a thief, and the bail bondsman is out to make money, or do you understand how businesses work ?

 

[AkronGuy]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

How exactly is the bail bondsman a fucking asshole ?

1. He provides a service that essentianlly loans the money for the bond, if they don't show for court, they have to pay a bounty hunter, have to pay the bond.

2. They ease up overcrowding in the court system and jail system by providing bonds to allow the accused to be released.

3. They're not criminals and contribute to society.

 

[AkronGuy]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

Well...I don't know if anyone knew.

I would hope we could all agree that this is a travesty of justice and the costs incurred are beyond what we should be paying.

Boohoo. I'm sure he like an idiot demand a speedy trial, or he waived it. It isn't my fault he's a stupid thief.

 

[AkronGuy]

Funny that this thread hasn't gotten much notice. I wonder why that is?

Maybe because he's a worthless stupid thief who is too stupid to either contact his attorney, learn about his rights, or file his own motions. Boohoo, should've went to school.

 

[AkronGuy]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

what? the bail bondsman only requires 10% and that makes him an asshole? he didn't set bail....he is doing the guy a favor...

there are plenty of other options available to thsi person than stealing the blankets. churches, homeless organizations etc....there simply is no reason to steal a blanket when he could easily have recieved a place to stay or free clothes and blankets from orgs that help people with no money....

if he had no access to those orgs and not having those blankets was basically life and death, then a different story

Exactly. I don't feel antipathy towards him for being homeless, i show it for him being a thief.

 

[Dr Grump]

[
Exactly. I don't feel antipathy towards him for being homeless, i show it for him being a thief.

But surely after a certain amount of time in the slammer, he's paid the price, no?

 

[AkronGuy]

[
Exactly. I don't feel antipathy towards him for being homeless, i show it for him being a thief.

But surely after a certain amount of time in the slammer, he's paid the price, no?

I have two views about that.

1. Is the sentencing laws of the state of Texas.

2. That I think it should be.

After reading the article, it sounds like Lubbock's criminal justice has more problems than people not making bail.

But at the sametime, on the people documented in the story, I can understand there being high bails. Homeless, junkies, and people who have no sure bounds.

 

[Mr. H.]

What else are you supposed to stuff jails with?

They're jails, not olives.

 

[AkronGuy]

Why don't they contact their public defenders ? Why don't they go to the law library and get the paperwork to file a motion of speedy trial. I used to get in trouble when I was younger and I sure as hell wouldn't have been sitting in jail for that long without going for a speedy trial motion.

 

[Ravi]

Why spend $7,000 dollars of taxpayer money to keep someone in jail for 6 months when he hasn't even been convicted of a crime...and the crime in that one case being stealing a blanket...

You honestly think that is a good use of taxpayer money?