People charged with crimes in California who were released under the state’s emergency “zero bail” policy enacted amid the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to reoffend than those who were released after posting bail, a new study has found.
The study (pdf), conducted by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office in California, compared a random sample of 100 of the 595 people who were released under the emergency bail policy in Yolo County between April 19, 2020, and May 31, 2021, to a random sample of 100 of the 147 people who posted bail between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2019.
The district attorney’s office found that suspects released on zero bail were subsequently rearrested for 163 percent more crimes than individuals who posted bail, and those released on zero bail also reoffended at an average rate that was 70 percent higher than people who posted bail….