Who is the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition?

Our mission is to reverse the trend of mass incarceration in Colorado. We are a coalition of nearly 7,000 individual members and over 100 faith and community organizations who have united to stop perpetual prison expansion in Colorado through policy and sentence reform.

Our chief areas of interest include drug policy reform, women in prison, racial injustice, the impact of incarceration on children and families, the problems associated with re-entry and stopping the practice of using private prisons in our state.

If you would like to be involved please go to our website and become a member.


Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Illegal Globally - Bail For Profit Still In US

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Wayne Spath is a bail bondsman, which means he is an insurance salesman, a social worker, a lightly regulated law enforcement agent, a real estate appraiser — and a for-profit wing of the American justice system.
What he does, which is posting bail for people accused of crimes in exchange for a fee, is all but unknown in the rest of the world. In England, Canada and other countries, agreeing to pay a defendant’s bond in exchange for money is a crime akin to witness tampering or bribing a juror — a form of obstruction of justice.
Mr. Spath, who is burly, gregarious and intense, owns Brandy Bail Bonds, and he sees his clients in a pleasant and sterile office building just down the street from the courthouse here. But for the handcuffs on the sign out front, it could be a dentist’s office.
“I’ve got to run, but I’ll never leave you in jail,” Mr. Spath said, greeting a frequent customer in his reception area one morning a couple of weeks ago. He turned to a second man and said, “Now, don’t you miss court on me.”

NY TIMES

3 comments:

Andrew Oh-Willeke said...

No entirely horrible. If you have a public defender, the bailbondsman may be the only person in the entire system who isn't a government official and who will treat you like an individual. The person, more than the judge or public defender or prosecutor, is often the one who secures your temporary freedom.

Anonymous said...

Either way you view it, the American "justice" system is designed to profit. Many of the real criminals are IN the "justice" occupation. Judges, prosecutors, detectives...

Colorado is one of the WORST states when it comes to the "correctional" (oxyMORON) system.

Tim Masters is one among hundreds that are being victimized. Tim Masters will never be the same again, just as those who have been wrongly incarcerated have been shattered.

If at all possible, avoid the state of Colorado for the welfare of you and yours!!! Once in this profiteering, callous state, it will be difficult to leave financially. (The economy steadily gets worse.)

Anonymous said...

Colorado's correctional system should be renamed as there isnt anything correctional about it. DJW