Ricardo Nieves started a bail bonds business at an unlikely time.
In April, he opened the door in Monticello, New York, when the bail bonds industry continued to downsize as a direct result of the 2019 state bail reform.
The reform dealt away with bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. For those offenses, defendants are to be released after arrest without paying any money.
Since the passage of the reform, the legislature has attempted to fix it twice by allowing judges to set bail on a few more crimes. However, the number of bail-eligible offenses is still significantly lower than before the reform—and so is the demand for bail bonds….