President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Monday to end cashless bail across the United States. This move comes as part of his administration’s effort to address rising crime rates, which Trump claims are linked to these bail policies.
According to reports from the New York Post, the executive order will threaten to cut federal funding for areas that do not comply with the new directive. The White House argues that cashless bail allows dangerous criminals to return to the streets quickly, putting law-abiding citizens at risk. A memo from the White House states, “Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced.”
Trump has been vocal about his stance on cashless bail. In a recent post on Truth Social, he stated that crime in American cities began to rise significantly when cashless bail was implemented. He described the situation as a "complete disaster" that must be fixed immediately. In a speech on August 11, he emphasized that places without cash bail are experiencing significant problems and attributed this to poor leadership.
Cashless bail has been a controversial topic, especially since Illinois became the first state to eliminate it with the SAFE-T Act, which took effect in September 2023. Critics of cashless bail argue that it leads to increased crime rates. A study from Yolo County, California, highlighted by the White House, found that a zero bail policy resulted in a 163% increase in crime. The study showed that individuals released under zero bail reoffended at a much higher rate compared to those who posted bail.
As Trump prepares to take action, the conversation around bail reform continues, with many watching closely to see how these changes will impact crime and public safety in the coming months.
