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Thank you for the opportunity to address the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on questions relating to pretrial and bail reform. These are critical questions with significant and far-reaching implications for the civil rights and welfare of millions of Americans, and I am especially thankful that the Commission has chosen to investigate and shine a light on these issues. My name is Lars Trautman and I am a resident senior fellow of criminal justice and civil liberties policy at the R Street Institute in Washington, D.C. In this role, I study bail and pretrial practices in the United States and advocate for improvements that will create a more equitable, effective and efficient criminal justice system. Earlier in my career, I served as an assistant district attorney in Essex County, Massachusetts. In that capacity, I participated in hundreds of arraignments, gaining firsthand experience with bail determinations as well as insights into some of the system’s flaws. ....