A recent letter from a reader in New Hyde Park disclosed the fact that those on the right side of the aisle do not care, even a little bit, about the human side of the bail reform equation.
Not a word was said about the personal hardships levied on those less fortunate than us who do not have the resources to make bail.
These hardships include, but are not limited to, losing one’s job (desperately needed to feed the family, paying rent, etc), being evicted for nonpayment of rent, etc.
He has probably never heard about Kalief Browder, a Bronx high school student who was imprisoned for three years, two of them in solitary confinement on Rikers Island, without being convicted of a crime. He was accused at 16 of stealing a backpack, and his family was unable to afford his bail, set at $900. He sat there waiting for a trial that never came.
Unable to overcome the demons caused by the abuse he suffered in jail, Browder committed suicide after his release.
Sure, the law needs to be amended to allow judges some discretion and probably some other things but the law has only been in effect for 3-4 weeks.
Rushing to judgment with hasty amendments is foolish.
Alan Reff
East Williston
