Dayton Daily News: Ohio chief justice wants to reform bail system
…
Last year, the ACLU of Ohio, Buckeye Institute, Justice Action Network and O’Connor advocated for sweeping changes to how Ohio courts set bail for defendants, who have yet to have their day in court. But legislation calling for reforms stalled in the Ohio House last year.
Roughly 57 percent of inmates in Ohio jails are not there serving a sentence but instead are awaiting trial, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction data. Ohio courts should look at risk factors, not bank accounts, when deciding who goes free on bail and who stays locked up, according to advocates for bail reform.