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History of Bail

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Synonyms

Pretrail detention; Pretrial release

Overview

Although not traditionally viewed as a function of corrections, bail is an integral mechanism within the system that can allow a defendant to avoid the confines of jail in the early stages of the criminal justice process (i.e., before trial). However, the bail system – particularly in the United States – is frequently viewed as punitive for those who are denied bail as well as for those who cannot secure bail through financial means. In particular, individuals who are denied bail are immediately thrust into the correctional system despite an entitlement to a presumption of innocence. Meanwhile, indigent defendants are penalized for their inability to pay the requisite bail amount. In both scenarios, the punishment (of pretrial detention) occurs before guilt has even been determined.

Bail is commonly defined as the temporary release of an arrestee secured by a bond or promise to appear at future court hearings. Bail, as it is...

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Recommended Reading and References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA

    Amanda L. Russell & Robert G. Morris

Authors
  1. Amanda L. Russell
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  2. Robert G. Morris
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda L. Russell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gerben Bruinsma

  2. VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gerben Bruinsma

  3. Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    David Weisburd

  4. Faculty of Law, The Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel

    David Weisburd

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Russell, A.L., Morris, R.G. (2014). History of Bail. In: Bruinsma, G., Weisburd, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_280

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_280

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5689-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5690-2

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