SJC Exchange Library

Originally posted by Jeremy Cherson on 09/01/2025

Hi everyone,

The Bail Project's CEO, David Gaspar, and I published an op-ed in the The New York Times today to continue to make the case for bail reform: "One Concrete Way to Make the Justice System Safer."

We tried to cover a lot of ground: the initial popularity of the reforms, pandemic-era crime spike confusion, the insane costs - social and otherwise - of unnecessary incarceration, and the importance of addressing the root causes of crime through supportive services.

But the core point is this:

"We know that bail reform works: Community safety, not personal wealth, best determines who is released and who is detained. This does not mean guaranteeing everyone's release. It simply means allowing judges to decide each case individually, using jail as a last resort."

Behind the arguments of this essay are the experiences of the hundreds of thousands nationwide who have benefited from these reforms who you don't often hear about in the headlines. Like so many of The Bail Project's clients, reforms mean returning to a job, getting healthcare and counseling, supporting their families, and better case outcomes.

There is a right way to do this - but the Trump Administration seems bent on getting it wrong.

We hope you will lend your influential voice to this critical moment. Here are two key ways you can help:

• Amplify the Op-ed on Social Media: Sharing the op-ed is one of the most effective ways to help. 

• Submit an LTE to the NYT: Expand upon or supplement the essay's main points by submitting or encouraging allies to submit a Letter to the Editor at the New York Times. Feel free to reach out to us for any additional guidance.

Please feel free to reach out and thank you for being in this fight with us!

Thank you,

Jeremy