"New York City courts have begun allowing some low-risk defendants to go free without posting bail, part of a larger effort to reduce the population of the Rikers Island jail complex.

In March, nonprofits contracted by the city screened 771 defendants awaiting trial and judges enrolled 241 of them in a new supervised-release program, city officials said Friday.

The $17.8 million program, announced last July, targets people who officials say are unable to pay bail but pose no risk to public safety.

In Brooklyn, 237 people were screened and 83 enrolled in March; in the Bronx, 206 people were screened and 53 enrolled; and in Queens, 170 people were screened and 50 enrolled, the mayor’s office said. The program will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 defendants annually, officials said."

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