Framing Pretrial Reform: Media Effects on Perceptions of Bail Reform and Pretrial Risk Assessments

Abstract

In the United States, about 450,000 individuals are held in jails awaiting trial, adding to the burden pretrial detention has placed on overcrowded and understaffed jail facilities. Experts have identified cash bail as the primary mechanism driving pretrial detention rates. Across the nation, pretrial reform efforts have focused on reducing the harms of cash bail by eliminating the system or implementing pretrial risk assessment tools to guide judicial decision-making. However, bail reform is a highly contested topic. Experts believe the media may play a key role in discussions of bail reform through shaping individual perceptions. However, little research has empirically examined the impact of media influence on perceptions of bail reform and pretrial risk assessments. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how media framing of pretrial release narratives affects perceptions of pretrial reform efforts. Data was collected using a randomized experimental vignette design in two surveys of 1) the general population and 2) criminal legal professionals. Findings from this investigation may inform practitioners on how to minimize or otherwise buffer the adverse negative effects of media attention.