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Inability to pay bail​ often results in:

• separation of families.
• lost custody of children.
• loss of jobs.
• loss of housing.
• missed car payments.
• access to medication.
• disruption of education.

• more guilty pleas, thus a criminal record which can affect:
  • housing options,
  • future employment, and
  • student financial aid.
• higher rates of conviction.​
• longer sentences.
• increased recidivism.

Every Second: The Impact of the Incarceration Crisis on America’s Families

Few decisions in the criminal justice process are as consequential as the determination of bail. Indeed, recent empirical research finds that pre-trial detention imposes substantial long-term costs on defendants and society. Defendants who are detained before trial are more likely to plead guilty, less likely to be employed, and less likely to access social safety net programs for several years after arrest."  
"Toward an Optimal Bail System." New York University Law Review,  92, 1399, 2017.