The U.S. Department of Justice last week that it鈥檚 unconstitutional to keep people behind bars just because they can鈥檛 afford to pay bail. Some bail bondsmen in New Mexico argue people in poverty shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to skirt the law.
States around the country鈥攊ncluding 鈥攗se fixed bail amounts set according to the crime. But the DOJ is urging states to move away from the practice.
Bail bondsman John Madrid says that鈥檚 unfair and that bail鈥檚 important because it demands responsibility. "Part of the process is to start requiring people to be accountable for the things that they do. Because how many times will somebody go to jail and just get released without a bond before it gets to be old news?"
This is a familiar debate in our state. A constitutional amendment aims to prevent nonviolent offenders who can鈥檛 pay bail from remaining in lockup. But only he or she is low-income鈥攁nd that鈥檚 why it lost the support of some local advocates.
