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New Jersey’s 2017 cash bail reform law , which eliminated financial barriers to avoiding pretrial detention, successfully reduced the state’s jail population without increasing gun violence. Before New Jersey’s 2017 cash bail law, about 38% of the state’s pretrial population were in jail — while legally innocent and awaiting a trial — solely because they could not afford bail. Our research shows that reducing pretrial detention has no measurable impact on firearm violence, suggesting we can significantly reduce the criminal legal system's footprint without harming community safety. This article was used in policy making in Tennessee using grantees paper "Evaluating Firearm Violence After New Jersey's Cash Bail Reform."