President Donald Trump wants to eliminate “cashless bail” in the nation’s capital and across the country.

But what exactly does that mean, and what is the controversy all about?

“Cashless bail” is a term for criminal justice reform policies that have upended the traditional practice of making bail – allowing people to pay to be released from jail before trial. Instead, reformers have called to replace that money-based system with one that focuses on public safety, defendant’s rights and ensuring people accused of crimes return to court.

Washington, DC, the immediate target of Trump’s ire, removed cash bail in most cases in 1992. Democratic-controlled states like New York, California and Illinois have passed bail reform laws in recent years, as have Republican-controlled states like Alas

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