Tim Schnacke, executive director of the Colorado-based Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices, makes a presentation at the Pretrial Justice Conference in Columbus.

Tim Schnacke, executive director of the Colorado-based Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices, makes a presentation at the Pretrial Justice Conference in Columbus.

Hundreds of top judges, jail, and court personnel recently gathered to discuss strategies to make justice more fair in Ohio, regardless of how much money is in a defendant’s bank account.

The Ohio Supreme Court hosted a Pretrial Justice Summit, to talk about why bail reform is needed.

Pretrial is the part of the criminal justice system that begins when a person comes into contact with law enforcement and ends when any resulting charges may be resolved, either through a dismissal, plea, or trial.

“Too many Ohioans are in jail for one reason - they cannot afford bail,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said to a forum held at Ohio State University. “Fifty-seven percent of people who sit in jail right now are not serving sentences. They have not been convicted of a crime. Instead, they are locked up because they can’t pay bail or post a bond.”

“When people are in jail and wait for their cases to be disposed of, they risk losing jobs. They can also lose their homes - or custody of their children. In as little as three days, it can disrupt the life of an individual in ways that are very hard to remedy,” she said.

In 2017, the Pretrial Justice Institute named Ohio as a “state to watch” because several of the state’s most populous jurisdictions are taking steps to address pretrial release.

Speakers at the forum included Hancock County Common Pleas Judge Reginald Routson and Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Stephen McIntosh.