Spotlighting 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. Pretrial reform efforts seek to address this problem by reducing cash bail use through eliminating bail or implementing risk assessment tools to guide judicial decision-making. However, pretrial reform efforts have faced considerable backlash across the nation. Anecdotally, experts believe the media may play a key role in discussions of bail reform, particularly through portraying pretrial reform as a policy that reduces public safety. However, little research has empirically examined the impact of media influence on perceptions of bail reform and pretrial risk assessments. This study expands on previous research by examining the impact of media exposure of pretrial release narratives on perceptions of pretrial reform efforts. We collected data from a general population sample ( N = 513) using a randomized experimental vignette survey design. Vignettes featured one of three fictional articles designed to highlight one fictional county’s experience with bail reform. Although our study found limited evidence for media exposure effects on perceptions of pretrial reform, our results discuss potential explanations and future avenue of research to explore other moderating influences on the impact of media. In addition, we discuss strategies for practitioners on how to minimize or otherwise buffer the adverse negative effects of media attention.