I keep hearing about people in jail for 3+ years awaiting trial. If they’re ‘innocent until proven guilty’ I dont understand why they are confined. I thought there was a right to a speedy trial also or is that not really the case?
In: 235
Because the US justice system is fucked up and built to harm people with lower income (and by extension, people of color). You’re stuck with paying court fees, for a lawyer, fines, lab tests, probation. Add being homeless to being poor, and it’s almost impossible to pay for everything and to make it to court/probation appointments. There are people who’ve been in Rikers Island for years before they see their trial date. It’s awful and is just one of many parts of the US criminal justice system that need total overhaul.
Some info from the [Prison Policy Initiative](https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/pretrial_detention/):
Key Statistics:
Percent of people in city and county jails being held pretrial: 67% +
Median bail bond for a felony: $10,000 +
Average yearly income of a man who can’t afford bail: $16,000. For women: $11,000 +
Percent of women who can’t afford bail who have minor children: 66% +
Percent of pretrial population that is Black: 43% +
Share of jail population growth since 1983 caused by pretrial detention: 63% +
Annual national cost of pretrial detention: $13.6 billion
Latest Answers