Pretrial detention causes lost employment and housing, disruption in education, and damage to family relationships. Defendants detained in jail awaiting trial plead guilty more often, are convicted more often, are sentenced to prison more often, and receive harsher prison sentences than those who are released during the pretrial period.1 Avoiding unnecessary pretrial confinement should be of paramount importance to every court system. Moreover, courts must move away from reliance on money bail set through an arbitrary schedule and instead make individualized determinations about who will return to court when required. Having money to post bond is not a predictor of compliance with court requirements.
