January 14, 2016 4:48 PM

Bail bond reform may be a lasting legacy of Sandra Bland's death

But the bail bond industry pushes back on increased PR bonds, noting failure to appear could result in a demand to put up the full bond amount

The unnecessary death of Sandra Bland in the Waller County Jail last summer has now put the reform of bail bonds in focus as a key criminal justice issue ahead of the next legislative session.

Last month, a Waller County grand jury declined to indict those involved in Bland’s arrest and incarceration, either at the jail or in her widely publicized traffic stop near the Prairie View A&M University campus in July.

The Department of Public Safety trooper who arrested Bland subsequently was fired after being indicted for perjury in connection with the traffic stop.

Many put blame for Bland’s death on her inability to quickly find the $500 for her bond, extending her stay in the county jail into the following week, when she took her life. What Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, sees is a woman charged with a traffic stop who should have been in and out of the county jail within 18 hours of being booked.

By Kimberly Reeves