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New Rules in Delaware to Make Bail Fair

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware is implementing new rules aimed at ensuring that decisions regarding bail for criminal offenders are made in a fair and reasonable manner.

Legislation being signed into law by Gov. Jack Markell on Wednesday calls for informed decision-making in the criminal justice system by using evidenced-based practices in decisions concerning bail, rehabilitation and probation supervision.

The law also will help ensure that scarce criminal justice resources are focused on higher-risk offenders.

The legislation is based on recommendations from the state Justice Reinvestment Task Force, including using an objective pretrial risk assessment tool in making bail decisions. 

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.