Advocates urge NY state lawmakers to end cash bail

ALBANY, N.Y. – Chanting “enough is enough,” criminal justice reformers have gathered in Albany to urge New York state lawmakers to eliminate cash bail.

The group rallying at the Capitol on Monday included some former inmates who said the state’s current bail system is unfair and ineffective.

They say support from top lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo make them optimistic that New York could replace cash bail in most criminal cases with community supervision, electronic monitoring or travel restrictions.

Cuomo and the leaders of the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly say cash bail is inherently unfair since it allows suspects with financial resources to go free while those without must wait in jail until their trials begin.

Groups involved in Monday’s event included Citizen Action-New York, New York Communities for Change and VOCAL-NY.