People arrested for nonviolent offenses in New York City will no longer have to raise bail money to stay out of jail, according to a new plan detailed to the AP ahead of its release Wednesday. The $18 million plan, pushed by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, will instead replace the bail process with supervision like daily check-ins, text-message reminders, and required drug or behavioral therapy. Calls for reform were amplified by several recent high-profile deaths related to Rikers Island, the prison where those awaiting trial are kept. A mentally ill homeless man, whose bail was set at $2,500 for trespassing, died in a hot cell last year. In another incident, 22-year-old Kalief Browder killed himself after being imprisoned awaiting trial for three years. Initial funding allows for 3,000 cases to enter the program.
