City officials said Tuesday that judges will no longer set bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony suspects in an effort to keep them out of Rikers, where they could end up stuck for too long or have something terrible and avoidable happen to them.
Instead, suspects will be allowed to live at home and even continue working while awaiting trial, with in-person checkups and text message reminders to make sure they attend their court dates, according to the Associated Press.
Calls for reform came as a result of incidents like the story of Kalief Browder, who was arrested at 16 and spent three years in Rikers over an allegedly stolen backpack before his case was thrown out. Browder committed suicide in June.
(Photo: Lyn Arnold)
