As of Tuesday afternoon last week, 225 people awaiting trial were being held at one of two Greene County jail facilities the downtown jail and the Adult Detention Center. Many of those individuals remained behind bars over the holidays, lacking the bail money that allows release until a scheduled court date.
More specifically, nearly 70% of the people detained in Greene County at the time of a 2018 report conducted amid exploration concerning construction of a new jail were awaiting judgment and were unable to pay bail.
That’s unacceptable, say supporters of a growing movement to change, or completely eliminate, the rules supporting cash bail. And it’s especially egregious during the COVID-19 pandemic, as congregate settings have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to spread of the disease.