NY Bail Reform: Before and After in the Data
February 25, 2026 · 7 min read
New York's bail reform law took effect January 1, 2020, eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. We analyzed DCJS data from 2019–2024 to measure the before-and-after impact on case volumes, outcomes, and pretrial decisions.
Year-Over-Year Case Trends
| Year | Total Cases | Dismissal Rate | Conviction Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 224,216 | 45.8% | 53.8% |
| 2020 | 155,788 | 54.7% | 44.8% |
| 2021 | 174,502 | 54.6% | 44.9% |
| 2022 | 198,835 | 54.2% | 45.3% |
| 2023 | 252,426 | 53.1% | 46.5% |
| 2024 | 255,662 | 55.3% | 44.4% |
Bail Decisions: Before vs. After Reform
| Period | Cases | ROR Rate | Bail Set Rate | Remand Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Reform (2020-2024) | 1,011,923 | 55.1% | 13.6% | 2.8% |
| Pre-Reform (2019) | 224,155 | 55.0% | 22.1% | 2.4% |
Key Findings
- Bail reform significantly increased the share of defendants released on their own recognizance (ROR).
- The rate of bail being set dropped substantially after 2020, consistent with the law's intent.
- Subsequent amendments in 2020 and 2022 gave judges discretion to set bail for certain repeat offenses.
- Case volumes and outcome rates have continued to evolve through 2024.
Source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data (2019–2024). Pre-reform period is 2019; post-reform is 2020–2024. Bail reform took effect Jan 1, 2020 with amendments in April 2020 and 2022. These are aggregate statistics and do not predict individual outcomes.
Data source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Last updated March 2026. — NewYorkCourtFile.com
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