Connecticut must be a state where people who are charged with a crime are still presumed innocent until proven guilty. Connecticut’s current cash bail system harms communities and accused individuals. These harms include:
- Losing jobs and income
- Falling behind on housing payments and losing housing
- Disrupting parents’ and caregivers’ relationship with their children or other dependents
- Putting family and loved ones in financial trouble
- Decreasing an accused individual’s ability to prepare for trial and get a fair outcome
- Forcing plea agreements
- Increasing the likelihood that the accused individual will be rearrested
Connecticut residents should have a right to pretrial release, unless the state can make the case they should not be released, based on a high risk of flight and/or high risk of further harm to the community. A person’s freedom should not depend on the ability to pay cash bail.
I call on the State of Connecticut to improve its pretrial justice policies. I commit to developing and advocating for solutions toward a more just pretrial system.