Georgia Republic Enactment Forces Shutdown of The Bail Project’s Atlanta Office
In a recent development, the Atlanta office of The Bail Project has shut down. This move came in response to a new law in Georgia, Senate Bill 63, which poses severe limitations on the ability to p… The Atlanta office of The Bail Project has been shut down in response to a new law in Georgia, Senate Bill 63, which restricts individuals and organizations to only three cash bonds per year and mandates cash bond for a further 30 offenses, including misdemeanors such as marijuana possession, court absences, and trespassing. This move was criticised by The Bails Project, which had been providing free bail assistance to thousands of low-income individuals over four years. The group claims that over $81 million in bail payments has enabled the release of over 30,000 people. They argue that cash bail does not improve public safety and only widens the justice gap between the wealthy and less privileged.
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In a recent development, the Atlanta office of The Bail Project has shut down. This move came in response to a new law in Georgia, Senate Bill 63, which poses severe limitations on the ability to post bail. Effective from July, it restricts individuals and organizations to only three cash bonds per year, limiting this function to sanctioned bail companies. Additionally, it mandates cash bond for a further 30 offenses, even misdemeanors such as marijuana possession, court absences, and trespassing.
The Bail Project’s Atlanta division had been helping to secure the release of detained individuals pending trial by providing free bail assistance. Over four years, it has assisted thousands of predominantly minority low-income individuals. Nationally, The Bail Project claims over $81 million in bail payments has enabled the release of more than 30,000 people.
Reacting to the stringent legislation, The Bail Project criticized the move as backward, emphasising that cash bail doesn’t improve public safety and only widens the justice gap between the wealthy and the less privileged, according to their released statement.
The legislation, signed by Governor Brian Kemp, was touted as an imperative to keep dangerous offenders from absconding and reoffending, as reported by the Associated Press. However, several criminal justice entities and even the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia have expressed opposition, with the latter threatening legal action.
The Bail Project suggested that Georgia officials could have followed other states by implementing “evidence-based” policies to combat court delays and invest in community services to decrease the need for pretrial detention. The organization admonished the decision claiming it exacerbates incarceration, inequality, and community harm.
Topik: Governance-ESG