Buyers Remorse A Review of States Repealing Previosly Adopted Failed Bail Reform Measures
By Eric Granof In the last 5-10 years, there has been a push for Criminal Justice Reform across the country. The driving force for the need for reform was jail overcrowding. Some states adopted various reforms proposed. In the intervening time many reforms have been found to be lacking. Therefore, states have begun repealing many of the reforms previously adopted. Here is a summary of states that have repealed or are in the process of repealing reforms that they previously passed: Utah Despite opposition from law enforcement and victims’ groups, Utah’s legislature passed bail reform legislation in 2020 that essentially made all bailable offenses the same amount. The reforms used a risk assessment set uniform bail. A year later after heavy cricitism from numerous groups the Utah legislature passed a bill repealing the massive reforms passed the previous year. In a short time, crime rose, and accountability disappeared from Utah’s criminal justice system. The repeal was s