Almost one in 20 people jailed in Mecklenburg County last year were held on failure to pay court fines or fees. Now, a new program supported by the MacArthur Foundation is modeling an evidence-based approach to criminal justice reform that changes the way people are assessed, held and released.
In November, Mecklenburg district court judges, including Elizabeth Trosch, began holding formal hearings to determine a defendant’s ability to pay before imposing financial punishments. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Trosch about the current failings of the pay-to-release bail system and the new effort to find alternatives.