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Trend toward bail, away from personal bonds a major factor in Harris County Jail overcrowding

By Gritsforbreakfast

It's not news that the Harris County jail is overcrowded, so I'm glad to see the Houston Chronicle devoting more attention to the question of "Why?"The Chron today features a story by Mike Tolson about the trend toward requiring bail for low-level defendants, a topic on which Grits has focused extensively in the past. At a time when Harris County's jail has 1,000 inmates beyond capacity, and the county pays for another 600 to be housed in Louisiana, judges' decisions to allow fewer of these bonds directly contributes to non-compliance with state regulations and extra costs from leasing jail beds. Reports Tolson ("Use of no cash bonds drop," April 6):Over the past 15 years, the use of personal bonds has all but disappeared in low-grade felony cases...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on April 06, 2008 (boomark / email).