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California just replaced cash bail with algorithms

Quartz: “Instead of leaving cash as collateral for freedom before a trial in court, those accused of crimes in California will be graded by an algorithm, starting in October 2019. A county official will then take that grade and use it to recommend whether the accused should be released or remain in jail. California governor Jerry Brown signed SB 10 into law last week, a bill that replaces cash bail with an algorithmic system. Each county will have to put in place a system to ascertain a suspect’s risk of flight or committing another crime during the trial process, whether that means using a system from a third-party contractor or developing one themselves before the October 2019 deadline. Activists have railed against cash bail for years, which should have made this legislation a sweeping win for civil rights organizations. Their argument is that cash bail makes justice an uneven playing field, incarcerating the poor while allowing those with money or assets avoid jail time…”

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