MONTHLY Bail Reports

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the heightened risk it poses to people incarcerated, we will be publishing monthly reports on bail in Philadelphia on Twitter and weekly recaps here.  All data below is scraped from publicly available court dockets.

Reports will include the percentage of bail and other release conditions set each day, number of cases where bail was posted, number of cases where public counsel was assigned, highest and lowest bail amount, and average bail amount.

We believe reporting on bail is more urgent now than ever. Each bail could be a death sentence, as crowded living quarters and inadequate health care make jails ripe for outbreaks. 

*Disclaimer: public information does not indicate whether detainers have been lodged in any of these cases. If someone has violated the terms of his or her probation a detained is often issued, which is an order to incarcerate the person pending a judge's ruling.

Philadelphia | Month of 01-2021

Total # Cases Arraigned: 2148

Cash bail: 53% (1141 cases)*
ROR: 25% (542 cases)
Unsecured: 19% (422 cases)
Denied: 2% (43 cases)

Of the 1141 cases where bail was set:
-195 were posted
-in 80% (915 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $5,000,000 ($500,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $250 ($25 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $153,793 ($15,379 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $175,478,948 ($17,547,894 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 12-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 1931

Cash bail: 50% (969 cases)*
ROR: 25% (502 cases)
Unsecured: 23% (449 cases)
Denied: 0% (11 cases)

Of the 969 cases where bail was set:
-169 were posted
-in 80% (779 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $2,500,000 ($250,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $500 ($50 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $121,873 ($12,187 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $118,095,500 ($11,809,550 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 11-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 1572

Cash bail: 54% (861 cases)*
ROR: 25% (396 cases)
Unsecured: 18% (288 cases)
Denied: 1% (27 cases)

Of the 861 cases where bail was set:
-174 were posted
-in 83% (722 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $3,000,000 ($300,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $250 ($25 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $123,655 ($12,365 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $106,467,749 ($10,646,774 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 10-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 2678

Cash bail: 48% (1310 cases)*
ROR: 26% (713 cases)
Unsecured: 23% (621 cases)
Denied: 1% (34 cases)

Of the 1310 cases where bail was set:
-240 were posted
-in 83% (1088 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $5,000,000 ($500,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $500 ($50 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $129,514 ($12,951 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $169,663,898 ($16,966,389 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 09-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 2030

Cash bail: 50% (1026 cases)*
ROR: 26% (544 cases)
Unsecured: 20% (424 cases)
Denied: 1% (36 cases)

Of the 1026 cases where bail was set:
-225 were posted
-in 83% (854 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $2,000,000 ($200,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $300 ($30 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $126,952 ($12,695 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $130,253,400 ($13,025,340 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 08-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 2065

Cash bail: 45% (932 cases)*
ROR: 30% (622 cases)
Unsecured: 22% (459 cases)
Denied: 2% (52 cases)

Of the 932 cases where bail was set:
-220 were posted
-in 82% (770 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $5,000,000 ($500,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $300 ($30 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $154,769 ($15,476 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $144,244,800 ($14,424,480 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 07-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 1894

Cash bail: 47% (903 cases)*
ROR: 27% (516 cases)
Unsecured: 22% (424 cases)
Denied: 2% (51 cases)

Of the 903 cases where bail was set:
-210 were posted
-in 80% (728 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $5,000,000 ($500,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $1,500 ($150 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $119,820 ($11,982 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $108,198,200 ($10,819,820 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 06-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 1962

Cash bail: 42% (829 cases)*
ROR: 23% (460 cases)
Unsecured: 33% (655 cases)
Denied: 0% (18 cases)

Of the 829 cases where bail was set:
-214 were posted
-in 86% (714 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $2,000,000 ($200,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $300 ($30 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $97,501 ($9,750 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $80,828,699 ($8,082,869 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 05-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 2141

Cash bail: 47% (1013 cases)*
ROR: 22% (479 cases)
Unsecured: 29% (628 cases)
Denied: 0% (20 cases)

Of the 1013 cases where bail was set:
-146 were posted
-in 84% (854 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $3,000,000 ($300,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $250 ($25 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $151,080 ($15,108 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $153,044,748 ($15,304,474 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 04-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 890

Cash bail: 57% (514 cases)*
ROR: 12% (108 cases)
Unsecured: 28% (250 cases)
Denied: 2% (18 cases)

Of the 514 cases where bail was set:
-64 were posted
-in 82% (426 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $2,000,000 ($200,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $300 ($30 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $160,753 ($16,075 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $82,627,300 ($8,262,730 needed to post bail for all)

Philadelphia | Month of 03-2020

Total # Cases Arraigned: 1691

Cash bail: 44% (760 cases)*
ROR: 35% (593 cases)
Unsecured: 16% (274 cases)
Denied: 2% (36 cases)

Of the 760 cases where bail was set:
-199 were posted
-in 83% (631 cases) a public defender was assigned due to indigence

Highest cash bail: $2,000,000 ($200,000 needed to post bail)
Lowest cash bail: $1,000 ($100 needed to post bail)
Average bail issued: $85,927 ($8,592 needed to post bail)
Total cash bail issued: $65,304,800 ($6,530,480 needed to post bail for all)