How to save 1,000’s of lives! When bail reform comes, do more to help people who use drugs

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No Cash Bail –

DEC 22, 2019 – At 19, Allison was arrested for selling a small amount of heroin to an undercover police officer for $15 to support her addiction to opioids. Because she was unable to pay bail of $3,500, she spent a year on Rikers Island awaiting trial. Eventually, she pled guilty and was sentenced to time served. Once released back to her Harlem community, she found herself homeless, excluded from employment, and struggled with finding treatment for her substance use disorder.

Thousands of people in New York State face similar devastating experiences when they cannot pay bail. Fortunately, on Jan. 1, bail reform legislation will end the use of monetary bail, reduce unnecessary pretrial incarceration and improve equity and fairness in the criminal justice system in New York. Bail reform will be of particular benefit for the most vulnerable in New York — people without the financial means to post bail following arrests for drug-related offenses.