Bail is the Glue that Keeps Families Involved in the Criminal Justice System
In the heated national debate over bail reform and cashless bail, one critical perspective is often overlooked: the real families left scrambling when a working parent is arrested for a minor offense. In a recent article, President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, Mike Morrison writes about the misrepresented and misunderstood role that bail bond agents play in ensuring families are kept together during the criminal justice process. Across Mississippi and the rest of the country, arrests frequently happen late at night or on weekends—DUI, traffic violations, or other non-violent charges that do not involve hardened criminals. Without easy access to an effective pretrial release mechanism like a surety bail bond, the accused has the potential to remain in jail longer than necessary. Cashless Bail Creates Delays and Keeps Families Apart This delayed and unnecessary incarceration is often overlooked and misunderstood. Many bail reform policies that have been supporte...