Camilo Ramirez: The problem with the U.S. bail system

The problem with the U.S. bail system

Since 2000, the annual number of people convicted of crimes in the United States has stayed steady, but the average number of people in jail each year has shot up. How can that be? The answer lies in the bail system— which isn't doing what it was intended to do. Camilo Ramirez details how the cash bail system disproportionally hurts people in low-income communities and communities of color. [Directed by Patrick Smith, narrated by Addison Anderson]. 

The cash bail system in the United States keeps hundreds of thousands of legally innocent people in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay. The median bail is now $10,000, far out of reach for nearly half of Americans. Pretrial detention has become the main driver of jail growth, disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of color. Alternatives show that most people return to court even without financial pressure, exposing the system's flaws and its costly human toll.