Wednesday, August 30, 2017
To Shrink Jail Population, a Bail Program Is Expanding
On a recent afternoon, Charlene Davis sat in a dimly lit room across from the holding cells on the lower level of Bronx Criminal Court. A phone on her desk lit up with calls from family members, often frantic, asking about relatives who had been arrested.
“A lot of people say ‘It’s my first time calling, I don’t know how this works,’” she said.
They were trying to bail out their relatives, and quickly, before their loved ones ended up on the bus bound for jail.
Ms. Davis, who works for a criminal justice nonprofit contracted by the city, was their best hope. One by one, she helped the relatives navigate the intricacies of paying bail. . .