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Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020

Did some California counties extend a ‘zero-bail’ policy enacted during the spring shutdown?

Christopher Hutton, Gigafact
yes

Some California counties have opted to keep in place a "zero bail" policy after it ended statewide in June. The policy, instituted in April to help reduce jail populations and limit the risks from the coronavirus, set bail for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies at zero.

Data about the impact of the measure is incomplete. Opponents warn of increased risk of crime from released offenders, citing anecdotal reports. In May, for instance, between 3% and 12% of bail-free suspects in four Bay Area counties were rearrested for another offense.

Violent crime rates in four major cities, San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, began rising in early June after a spring decline. By fall, most violent crimes fell back to early 2020 levels, but homicides and assaults were up. Three of the cities are in counties that extended the zero-bail policy; San Francisco is not.

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