Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of The Legal Aid Society, recently joined Somil Trivedi on the Legal AF podcast to discuss cash bail and its negative effects in New York and nationwide.

“It encapsulates everything that we’re talking about that is wrong with justice,” said Carter about cash bail. “Our attorneys see firsthand how even short periods of detention can really destabilize people’s lives.”

New York state passed comprehensive bail reform in 2019, and it has been a resounding success, decreasing jail populations and keeping communities intact. In 2022, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services released data that confirmed the widespread effectiveness of bail reform, debunking claims from critics that it had led to any significant increase in crime.

“I think we all can agree, regardless of your political affiliation, that your ability to be free should not be based on what you can afford,” said Cater. “That’s what sets up the two tiers of justice, something that you and I, and many other people have been fighting for decades.”

Watch the full interview below.