<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3KdBN9_0wPQtcMt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3KdBN9_0wPQtcMt00" width="525" height="350" ><figcaption>Money bail is a source of racial disparities in the justice system, particularly for Black and Latino populations, research shows. (Adobe Stock)</figcaption></figure>Changes in bail policy don't affect crime rates in cities nationwide, according to new data from the Brennan Center for Justice. Cash bail has driven up jail overcrowding in West Virginia, and the state continues to struggle with record-high staff vacancies within the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Eli Baumwell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, said several years ago the state created a policy aimed at reducing the use of money bail for misdemeanors. But he said local jurisdictions have been slow to implement."It has not really been put into effect, because discretion was baked in," said Baumwell. "And that was at the request of judicial officers who assured us that they would be making efforts to expand the use of personal recognizance. That hasn't happened, at least in many jurisdictions."The study compared major offenses from 2015 through 2021 in around two dozen cities that had in place some type of bail reform. Braumwell said the state could implement policies that boost pre-trial services, such as text reminders and child care to help people show up to their court date - instead of holding them in jail for weeks, months or, in some cases, over a year.Ames Grawert, senior counsel with the Brennan Center, said bail amounts tend to be set higher for people of color."Even if someone is able to secure a bail bond - rather than pay the amount of money required by the court outright - those bonds can often come with very high, non-refundable fees," said Grawert, "and those fees on their own can be fairly devastating to a family living on the edge."Baumwell pointed out that the bail system has worsened jail overcrowding in the Mountain State."We still have way more more people in these facilities than the jails can hold," said Baumwell. "We don't have enough staff to really make sure that they are being properly cared for."According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, in the last decade West Virginia jails had the highest death rate in the country - twice the national average. And, the state continues to struggle with record-high staff vacancies within the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. </div></body>

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Report: Bail reform in WV has no impact on crime rates

Changes in bail policy don't affect crime rates in cities nationwide, according to new data from the Brennan Center for Justice. Cash bail has driven up jail overcrowding in West Virginia, and the state continues to struggle with record-high staff vacancies within the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Eli Baumwell,...