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Inside America's For-Profit Bail System
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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