ACLU, other advocates land bail policy they wanted in Shelby County

MLK50

“Shelby County’s new bail policy is exactly what the ACLU and other progressive advocates hoped for: An end to the jailing of county residents who aren’t a public safety risk simply because they lack cash, criminal justice reformers told MLK50: Justice Through Journalism.

If the courts follow through on all of the order’s promises, the county’s pre-trial jail population should drop considerably from its current level of about 2,500, said Josh Spickler, executive director of Just City.

While he’s thrilled with the outcome, he said the real test will come now that the court must implement these major changes — working with all nine General Sessions Criminal Court judges, including the two who didn’t sign the order but are still bound by it.”