Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has introduced new legislation aimed at preventing previously convicted violent felons from being released on bail if they are arrested for another felony. The bill, named the No Bail Post-Jail Act, would apply to individuals who have served time in state or federal correctional facilities for violent felonies such as murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and sexual assault. The act covers both adults and juveniles tried as adults.
According to Senator Cotton, “Years of soft on crime policies have allowed violent repeat criminals back on our streets endangering law abiding Arkansans. My bill ensures that violent repeat offenders won’t be released on bail, keeping our communities safer.”
The legislation specifies that “prior incarceration” refers to serving any length of sentence in a correctional facility following a conviction for a violent felony, but does not include pretrial detention without conviction.
The full text of the bill is available online.
