Bernie Sanders seeks to end cash bail in new criminal justice policy proposal

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is ready to implement criminal justice reform.

The 2020 Democratic candidate unveiled a major policy proposal on Sunday, which details how he'd revamp the criminal justice system, with his sights set on the country's prisons, police departments, courts, and drug policies. It's a sweeping plan that would reportedly require the passage of legislation and cooperation with local and state governments. Politico also reports that it will likely draw criticism from police unions as one of Sanders' recommendations is to establish a list of "disreputable" law enforcement officials who cannot be called to testify in court.

One of the major arguments Sanders makes, especially in regards to mass incarceration, is that hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people are in jail not because they have been convicted of a crime, but because they cannot afford bail. Even if they are acquitted, then, "the severe damage to their lives cannot be undone," per the proposal. "We are criminalizing poverty," the plan reads.

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So, Sanders proposes ending cash bail, reminiscent of a bill he proposed in 2018. He would end the use of secure bonds in federal criminal proceedings, provide grants to states to reduce their pretrial detention populations, and withhold funding from states that continue the use of cash bail systems.

Among some of the other major points in the plan are the institution of "safe injection sites" where people can use illegal drugs under medical supervision and the abolishment of for-profit prisons. Read the proposal here.