An inmate lays in a jail cell. (Photo by Darrin Klimek/Getty Images)
Oklahoma has a decision to make: Will we continue clinging to a pretrial system that punishes poverty and fails to deliver public safety? Or will we move toward a smarter, fairer, and actually effective alternative?
The evidence is mounting, and the verdict is clear: cash bail — the dollar amount a court determines you must pay to be released from jail before your trial — doesn’t work. It doesn’t improve court appearance rates, and it doesn’t make our communities safer. What it does is lock up thousands of legally innocent Oklahomans every year simply because they can’t afford to buy their freedom. Reform is long overdue…