See also: excessive bail.
Yep. Secured bond (my state uses "bond" to refer to both secured and unsecured) is an interesting alternative. The idea is that you have to put up some kind of stuff. It obviously results in more security from the court's standpoint. But it could also potentially be a good alternative for someone who's cash poor but who may have something else like a car. I could see someone being able to put up a car worth $500 (which they'd still get to drive in the meantime) but not $500 cash. It's not a perfect solution, but I think it's something that should be used as an alternative for people who don't have the money sitting around. Anyone who has neither money nor stuff doesn't really have anything we can hold over their head anyway, and just assuming that poor = unreliable is shitty.