Policy-makers urge reforms for indigent Texas defendants
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Policy-makers are pushing for reforms that would allow indigent defendants with low-level offenses to get out of jail without posting large amounts of bail.
The Texas Judicial Council says about a quarter of the 41,000 inmates awaiting trial in Texas pose little threat to the public. But the council says those people are incarcerated because they can’t afford to post bail or in some cases have been unfairly identified as flight risks.
The Austin American-Statesman reports that a study by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards found that the percentage of inmates waiting for trial 25 years ago was 32 percent. Now it’s 75 percent.
The council says it will lobby lawmakers to amend the Texas Constitution by introducing a presumption that people accused of crimes should get pretrial release.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
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