JustLeadershipUSA® Opposes Effort to End “Cashless Bail” Policies in D.C. and Nationwide

Today, the Trump Administration issued a new Executive Order titled, “Measures To End Cashless Bail and Enforce the Law in the District of Columbia.” This order, designed “to press the District of Columbia to change its policies with respect to cashless bail,” comes on the heels of numerous administrative actions aimed at the Nation’s Capitol. In response, JustLeadershipUSA® issues the following statement:

JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) and the JustUS Coordinating Council (JCC) strongly oppose efforts to take us backward in the fight for fairness in our courts. Today’s directive is yet another example of a solution in search of a problem. Data from across the country—alongside the lived experiences of those directly impacted—show that courts and correctional systems operate with greater efficiency and fairness when bail reform is implemented. These policies promote individualized accountability and support public interests. To label these reforms as “cashless bail,” as this executive order does, is a distortion of their purpose and wrongly conflates due process with safety.

Bail reform is working. Across jurisdictions that have embraced smarter pretrial policies, we see reduced strain on correctional staff due to smaller jail populations, more deliberate and transparent detention decisions, increased safety in our detention facilities, and even increased community safety through declines in crime. Bail reform does not mean eliminating accountability or guaranteeing automatic release. In fact, a core feature of these reforms is the ability to detain individuals when justified, based on the seriousness of allegations, evidence, and viable alternatives to pre-trial detention.

True “tough on crime” measures begin by addressing its root causes and by investing in opportunities that help all individuals meet basic needs and achieve economic mobility. Predicating ongoing participation in the economy during court proceedings on an individual’s personal ability to pay for bail has sustained a multi-tiered pretrial system that punishes poverty and violates core constitutional protections. While the bounds of the Constitution continue to be tested, the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments are clear: We need alternatives to outdated, excessive, for-profit bail schemes if we are to build a justice system that honors both the presumption of innocence and the public interest.

JLUSA and the JCC remain committed to advancing policies that protect liberty, ensure public safety, and uphold the dignity of all people—regardless of income. We call on leaders at every level of government to reject fear-based narratives and embrace justice solutions rooted in facts, effectiveness, evidence, and lived experience.

Learn more about how we are elevating issues impacting the 70+ million Americans with lived experience at the Federal level through the JustUS Coordinating Council (JCC) at justuscc.org.