Inside America's For-Profit Bail System
Each year, thousands of potentially innocent Americans sit in jail while they wait for trial because they cannot pay for their freedom with money they do not have. I recently spoke with VICE about my proposal to eliminate bail in its entirety, calling to reform America's broken for-profit bail system.
The US is the only first-world country that commercializes bail. The for-profit industry rakes in more than $2 billion annually in revenue. Most criminal defendants can't pay the full bail amount and must either stay in jail or pay a 10 percent fee to secure a bond, which they won't recoup even if found not guilty.
In the premiere episode of the series Justice, VICE examines the winners and losers of for-profit criminal justice and explores the emerging alternatives.
Video Link: http://www.vice.com/video/inside-americas-for-profit-bail-system
