Bail reform has allowed thousands of New Yorkers to return to their families and receive the treatment and care they need as they await their date in court. With the state budget deadline fast approaching, this is a critical moment for New York’s legislature to protect the new law from regressive changes, and instead commit to shifting resources to the services – education, healthcare, mental healthcare, and housing – that keep communities safe and thriving. To do so, we must re-examine the staggering sums counties have historically spent on jailing compared to community-based resources.
