Gut and Go: Eliminating Own Recognizance Bonds

Included Bills:

• HB 2610: Reducing the Use of Summons in Lieu of Warrants

This bill undermines judicial discretion and disproportionately harms low-income Kansans by mandating arrest and imposing stricter pretrial conditions based solely on charge level rather than individualized risk. These measures will only serve to increase incarceration rates and deepen systemic inequities. This bill significantly limits judicial discretion by prohibiting courts from issuing summonses in felony cases, regardless of individual circumstances. Removing this discretion undermines a core principle of our justice system: decisions should be based on individuals, not just the charges against them. For individuals living paycheck to paycheck, even short periods of pretrial detention can result in job loss, eviction, disruptions to childcare, and financial instability. Wealthier defendants are better positioned to absorb these mandated disruptions or post secured bond; poorer defendants are not.