Bail reform matters. A physician explains why.
The young woman in my clinic, whom I’ll call Nicole, was 8 months pregnant with her third child. It should have been a joyous time — but she was in a county jail. Nicole was awaiting trial for a misdemeanor, and while a judge had set bail, she couldn’t afford to pay it.
I’m a public health researcher and physician in the Los Angeles County Jails, the largest jail system in …