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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Did some California counties extend a 'zero-bail' policy enacted during the spring shutdown?

Thursday, October 29, 2020

By Christopher Hutton

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YES

Some California counties have opted to keep in place a "zero bail" policy after it ended statewide in June. The policy, instituted in April to help reduce jail populations and limit the risks from the coronavirus, set bail for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies at zero.

Data about the impact of the measure is incomplete. Opponents warn of increased risk of crime from released offenders, citing anecdotal reports. In May, for instance, between 3% and 12% of bail-free suspects in four Bay Area counties were rearrested for another offense.

Violent crime rates in four major cities, San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, began rising in early June after a spring decline. By fall, most violent crimes fell back to early 2020 levels, but homicides and assaults were up. Three of the cities are in counties that extended the zero-bail policy; San Francisco is not.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

State of California: End to some emergency measures as courts expand reopening

KTVU: Despite claims that 'zero bail is a fail,' data isn't so clear

CBS SF Bay Area: Superior courts extend emergency ‘zero bail’ in Alameda, Santa Clara counties

WFMJ: Los Angeles County to keep $0 bail despite expiration of statewide order

Davis Vanguard: San Francisco ends zero bail policy, draws criticism from DA and public defender

Public Policy Institute of California: California’s major cities see some increases in crime

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.