“You Have to Break the Law to Get into Something Good”: Accused’s Perceptions of a Bail Supervision Program

Despite the proliferation of bail supervision programs (BSPs) and the critical role they may play in securing release for some accused, there is minimal research on BSPs. Extant research examines whether BSPs decrease administration of justice charges; however, the accused’s perceptions of BSPs are missing from this inquiry. This analysis focuses on 20 interviews with accused supervised by a BSP. Accused find the BSP valuable, supporting release from custody, offering guidance in navigating the criminal legal process, and being a resource and information hub. While the BSP provides a necessary support service for both accused and courts, it does so by relying on coercive conditions that risk further entrenching accused in the criminal legal system. This finding suggests that “care” and “control” co-exist in the delivery of BSPs.