New Bail Policy Aims To Keep High-Risk Offenders In Jail

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C.,None — A new bond policy aims to keep low-risk offenders out of jail and high-risk criminals in jail.

In Mecklenburg County, only about 10 percent of felons waiting for trial are kept in jail, in part because people charged with minor offenses are taking up jail space.

The new policy, which took judges and attorneys a year to put together, will change that when it goes into effect next week.

"That [jail] space will be reserved for individuals who are accused of serious crimes and/or who pose a significant risk to the community," said Chief Superior Court Judge Richard Boner, who helped craft the new policy.

The new policy will help clear the jail of low-risk offenders by releasing more of them without bond.

Under the current policy, minimum bonds are suggested for crimes. Judges and magistrates tend toward those, as state law and the Constitution prohibit setting excessive bonds. However, that means high-risk offenders who can afford to post bond can get out of jail, while minor offenders who can't afford to post bail are stuck.

Judge Lisa Bell recalls one man who was charged with misdemeanor panhandling and spent a month and a half in jail because he couldn't afford to pay his $500 bond.

"The cost of that to taxpayers was about $5,000 to house that person for 46 days in jail," Bell said.

Bell said that is a waste of resources and jail space.

Now, judges will also get more information about offenders' criminal histories, so that they can use that information to guide their decision on bonds.

WSOC