This is a huge step in the right direction for the US criminal justice system. On 8/18/16, the Justice Department declared that jailing those too poor to make bail is unconstitutional. It's punishing defendant before they've been proven guilty, a fundamental human rights violation. It's also bad social policy. The jailed person cannot work or look after their families, which aggravates their poverty.
It took a Brit named Oliver to help me understand the depth and range of this injustice. Remember that the DOJ's decision only affects federal agencies. States are still free to jail as they please.
Remember the New Hampshire homeless man who died in jail because he couldn't afford the $100 bail?
