Bail? Jail? Tool Tried Out by San Francisco Courts Looks Promising

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A sign for bail bonds on Bryant Street in San Francisco. Photo by Alex Emslie/KQED

KQED News Fix/The California Report

In 2016, San Francisco began to use an algorithm to evaluate if a person accused of a crime and awaiting trial could be safely released from jail.

Now, prosecutors say the risk assessment tool seems to work: According to information provided to KQED by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, 6 percent of defendants let out of jail based on the “public safety assessment,” or PSA, committed a new crime; 20 percent did not show up for court.

Read the story at KQED News Fix/The California Report.

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