Spotlighting Pretrial Reform: Media Effects on Perceptions of Bail Reform and Pretrial Risk Assessments

Abstract In the United States, about 450,000 individuals are held in jails awaiting trial, adding to the burden pretrial detention has placed on overcrowded and understaffed jail facilities. Pretrial reform efforts seek to address this problem by reducing cash bail use through eliminating bail or implementing risk assessment tools to guide judicial decision-making. However, pretrial reform efforts have faced considerable backlash across the nation. Anecdotally, experts believe the media may play