Presuming Probation Release (H 7651)

The ACLU of Rhode Island strongly supports this bill, which would require the court to set reasonable bail for those individuals who appear before it as probation violators, and would establish a presumption of release in many circumstances and authorize detention of an alleged violator only when necessary. We believe that this statutory change to address bail procedures is critical in confronting a wealth-based incarceration and criminal justice system. For individuals who are lower income, the burden of cash bail is often something that they are unable to overcome, even when the amount may seem relatively small.