REPORT: Bond reform working while critics say it misses the point
Phil Archer, Reporter
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HOUSTON – Harris County is under federal court order to reform its misdemeanor bail bond system to prevent defendants charged with mostly nonviolent crimes from languishing in jail.
Too many nonviolent offenders were being kept behind bars while awaiting trial because they were too poor to post bond.
Now, a year after full implementation, a study supervised by Duke University Professor Brandon Merritt said it’s working with many fewer misdemeanor defendants languishing in jail.
“These big deal changes, big picture structural changes in how the misdemeanor system works have made much it fairer,” Merritt said on Wednesday. “It’s working well. We haven’t seen changes in repeat offending.”