Considering the hundreds of police officers that have avoided prosecution for killing people in Georgia, lawmakers should instead be working on ways to improve accountability, consistency and fairness in the investigation of wrongdoing in our state, Moreover, police officers and first responders are already entitled to a number of protections in the law.

By limiting the judicial options, this legislation encourages judges to issue more secured bonds, which will line the pockets of the bail bond industry and fill cells up with people too poor to purchase their release.

Perpetuates Profiteering: The bail bonding industry lobbies for ending alternatives to cash bail so that they can continue to profit off the backs of people in pre-trial detention who are often the poor; Shifts the Burden of Cost: Cities and counties are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars unnecessarily jailing persons who might be eligible for pre-trial release; Criminalizes Poverty: Many poor persons are forced to stay in jail because they cannot pay for release while those who can afford it – facing the same chargesare free; Compromises Public Safety: Persons who are able to return to their jobs, families and communities without paying cash bail are less likely to be rearrested; Increases Racial Bias: Cash bail disproportionately punished Black and Brown persons.

Nationally, Black and Brown defendants are at least 10-25% more likely than white defendants to be detained pretrial or to have to pay bail money; and Removes Judicial Discretion: Signature bonds are an important discretionary tool for judges.

SB 402 eliminates a judge’s ability to release a person charged with a bail restricted offense on unsecured judicial release to a pretrial release or diversion program.