On Wednesday, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) quietly dropped a bombshell. For months, the state has avoided releasing much-needed data on individuals who were arraigned in New York before lawmakers passed bail reform. But newly available data confirm what critics have long argued: bail reform was followed by a significant increase in criminal reoffending.
It’s worth explaining the new data in detail. Until now, analysts not privy to government databases had to use data on arraignments in New York State published by the Office of Courts Administration. Those data currently cover most arraignments between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. New York’s bail reform went into effect on the earlier date. This means that no detailed data were publicly available on arraignments and their outcomes before bail reform—something we need to understand how things changed after bail reform’s implementation.
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