Charitable Bail Organizations: Senate Committee on Criminal Justice

Since 2020, the number of charitable bail organizations (CBOs) has risen dramatically across the United States. These organizations source together funding to post bail for a defendant. The issue with these organizations is that a defendant has zero “skin in the game” when a third-party organization bails him out of jail. In contrast, if a defendant or a family member pays the bail, the defendent has a powerful incentive to appear in court as promised. TCCRI’s testimony to the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice outlines this concern, as well as recommendations on how to maintain the integrity of the bail process in light of the proliferation of new charitable bail organizations. Please read the entire testimony here.