0:00:00.000,0:00:02.982
[theme music]

0:00:04.192,0:00:05.605
Oliver: Bail.

0:00:05.605,0:00:06.541
We're so used to it,

0:00:06.541,0:00:08.976
it has become a fixture of American life.

0:00:08.976,0:00:10.160
Sorrentino: Down here at the shore,

0:00:10.160,0:00:11.701
one minute you've got three girls[br]in the jacuzzi,

0:00:11.701,0:00:13.467
the next minute somebody's in jail

0:00:13.467,0:00:15.180
and you have to bail them out.

0:00:15.180,0:00:16.985
That's what happens down at the shore.

0:00:16.985,0:00:18.952
[audience laughs]

0:00:18.952,0:00:20.020
Oliver: The other thing that happens

0:00:20.020,0:00:20.882
down at the shore?

0:00:20.882,0:00:21.684
Chlamydia.

0:00:21.684,0:00:25.342
Just a medically astounding rate of chlamydia.

0:00:25.342,0:00:26.223
At it's heart,

0:00:26.223,0:00:28.451
America's bail system sounds pretty simple.

0:00:28.451,0:00:29.630
If you're charged with a crime,

0:00:29.630,0:00:30.685
the court might ask for

0:00:30.685,0:00:32.125
an amount of money as bond,

0:00:32.125,0:00:33.430
and then return it to you

0:00:33.430,0:00:35.124
once you show up for trial.

0:00:35.124,0:00:36.068
And if you have that money,

0:00:36.068,0:00:36.931
it's no big deal.

0:00:36.931,0:00:37.731
But if you don't,

0:00:37.731,0:00:39.506
you could be in big trouble.

0:00:39.506,0:00:40.934
Just look at one example,

0:00:40.934,0:00:42.207
a man called Miguel.

0:00:42.207,0:00:43.214
He was arrested

0:00:43.214,0:00:44.894
for driving with a suspended license.

0:00:44.894,0:00:46.606
The court set bail at $1,000,

0:00:46.606,0:00:47.644
and he had the choice

0:00:47.644,0:00:51.977
pay it or await a trial in Riker's Island.

0:00:51.977,0:00:53.219
And I'll let Miguel and his wife

0:00:53.219,0:00:54.713
take the story from there.

0:00:54.713,0:00:56.688
Miguel: I wouldn't wish Riker's

0:00:56.688,0:00:57.643
on my worst enemy

0:00:57.643,0:00:59.158
because it's rough.

0:00:59.158,0:01:00.221
Wife: It's hard because...

0:01:00.221,0:01:01.417
I had to borrow--

0:01:01.417,0:01:02.796
I had to try to borrow money

0:01:02.796,0:01:04.665
from this person and this person

0:01:04.665,0:01:06.751
and this person to try to get him out.

0:01:06.751,0:01:07.426
He told the judge,

0:01:07.426,0:01:09.807
"I can't afford $1,000 bill."

0:01:10.477,0:01:12.097
So, he really didn't have a choice

0:01:12.097,0:01:13.524
but to plead guilty.

0:01:14.244,0:01:15.676
Oliver: Now, whether he was guilty or not,

0:01:15.676,0:01:17.812
the fact is a non-violent offender

0:01:17.812,0:01:19.512
spent time in Riker's

0:01:19.512,0:01:21.478
because he didn't have $1,000.

0:01:21.478,0:01:23.779
And this is a systemic problem.

0:01:23.779,0:01:25.709
Increasing the bail has become a way

0:01:25.709,0:01:26.510
to lock up the poor

0:01:26.510,0:01:27.577
regardless of guilt

0:01:27.577,0:01:29.619
because Miguel was a family man

0:01:29.619,0:01:32.125
who posed no danger to society whatsoever.

0:01:32.125,0:01:33.355
And he was stuck at Riker's,

0:01:33.355,0:01:35.519
whereas millionaire Robert Durst

0:01:35.519,0:01:38.050
who'd been accused of murder in Texas,

0:01:38.050,0:01:40.092
had a completely different experience

0:01:40.092,0:01:41.457
of the bail system.

0:01:41.457,0:01:43.625
Durst: I had been told by the detective,

0:01:43.625,0:01:46.470
"You've been charged with murder.

0:01:46.470,0:01:49.875
Bail has been set at $250,000."

0:01:49.875,0:01:51.573
Interviewer: But was your intention

0:01:51.573,0:01:54.607
when you put up the $250,000 to run away?

0:01:54.607,0:01:56.798
Durst: Oh, goodbye $250,000.

0:01:56.798,0:01:59.847
Goodbye, jail. I'm out!

0:02:00.182,0:02:03.223
Oliver: I'm out! [audience booing]

0:02:03.223,0:02:04.158
That of course,

0:02:04.158,0:02:05.359
is an excerpt from Robert Durst's

0:02:05.359,0:02:07.494
children's books: Goodbye, Jail.

0:02:07.494,0:02:08.988
[audience laughs and claps]

0:02:08.988,0:02:09.895
Goodbye, money.

0:02:09.895,0:02:10.931
Goodbye, bail.

0:02:10.931,0:02:12.030
I killed them all,

0:02:12.030,0:02:13.515
but goodbye jail.

0:02:13.905,0:02:16.600
Of course, of course.

0:02:17.585,0:02:18.799
The problem is

0:02:18.799,0:02:20.760
the frequency and cost of bail

0:02:20.760,0:02:22.240
has risen dramatically.

0:02:22.240,0:02:24.274
And it is disproportionately hurting the poor.

0:02:24.274,0:02:25.628
In fact, in 2013,

0:02:25.628,0:02:28.209
an analysis of New Jersey's jail population

0:02:28.209,0:02:29.917
found that nearly 40%

0:02:29.917,0:02:31.885
were being held solely because

0:02:31.885,0:02:33.817
they couldn't meet the terms of their bail,

0:02:33.817,0:02:35.275
which is crazy.

0:02:35.275,0:02:36.253
Jail is supposed to be for

0:02:36.253,0:02:37.411
dangerous criminals.

0:02:37.411,0:02:38.825
If 40% of the group

0:02:38.825,0:02:40.757
don't meet the basic criteria

0:02:40.757,0:02:41.693
to be there,

0:02:41.693,0:02:43.127
that should change your perception

0:02:43.127,0:02:44.056
of what that group is.

0:02:44.056,0:02:46.157
If 40% of the Girl Scouts

0:02:46.157,0:02:47.132
were grown men,

0:02:47.132,0:02:48.089
you'd feel weird about

0:02:48.089,0:02:49.340
buying cookies from them.

0:02:49.340,0:02:50.668
[audience laughs]

0:02:50.668,0:02:54.268
So, what happens if you can't make bail?

0:02:54.268,0:02:55.705
Well, much like a game of

0:02:55.705,0:02:58.406
F***, Marry, Kill with Crosby, Stills, and Nash,

0:02:58.406,0:03:01.588
there are a few terrible scenarios.

0:03:01.588,0:03:03.741
[audience laughs, applauds]

0:03:03.741,0:03:06.710
Option 1: You're sit in jail.

0:03:06.710,0:03:08.411
And again, if you're poor

0:03:08.411,0:03:10.155
as this defensive attorney explains

0:03:10.155,0:03:11.992
that has immediate consequences.

0:03:11.992,0:03:13.727
Saunders: Our clients work at jobs

0:03:13.727,0:03:15.858
where if you're absent, you're fired.

0:03:15.858,0:03:17.486
Our clients live in shelters

0:03:17.486,0:03:18.885
or in transitional housing.

0:03:18.885,0:03:20.770
Places where if you're not there for the night,

0:03:20.770,0:03:22.127
you're place is gone.

0:03:22.127,0:03:23.363
So, there's a lot of different ways

0:03:23.363,0:03:24.871
in which incarceration,

0:03:24.871,0:03:26.206
even for a short period of time,

0:03:26.206,0:03:28.341
can really destroy someone's life.

0:03:28.341,0:03:29.126
Oliver: Exactly.

0:03:29.126,0:03:30.570
Jail can do for your actual life,

0:03:30.570,0:03:31.766
what being in a marching band

0:03:31.766,0:03:33.189
can do for your social life.

0:03:33.189,0:03:34.280
[audience laughs]

0:03:34.280,0:03:36.680
Even if you're in just for a little while,

0:03:36.680,0:03:39.019
it can destroy you [laughter, applause].

0:03:39.019,0:03:41.536
Destroy you [applause].

0:03:41.536,0:03:43.685
That means it's no wonder

0:03:43.685,0:03:46.524
that many defendants who can't afford bail

0:03:46.524,0:03:47.795
favor option number 2,

0:03:47.795,0:03:50.482
simply pleading guilty even if you're not,

0:03:50.482,0:03:52.762
as a former public defender explains.

0:03:52.762,0:03:54.265
Feige: You sit in jail

0:03:54.265,0:03:57.030
because you can't afford to pay your way to freedom.

0:03:57.030,0:03:59.407
And you're often confronted with a deal

0:03:59.407,0:04:00.592
that goes like this:

0:04:00.592,0:04:02.006
"Plead guilty -- get out."

0:04:02.006,0:04:04.213
"Maintain your innocence and go to trial."

0:04:04.213,0:04:05.326
"Stay in."

0:04:05.546,0:04:06.491
Oliver: And poor people

0:04:06.491,0:04:08.308
are regularly choosing to admit guilt

0:04:08.308,0:04:09.545
just to get out of there,

0:04:09.545,0:04:10.878
which isn't good.

0:04:10.878,0:04:12.211
The only time that's appropriate

0:04:12.211,0:04:14.142
is in a Catholic confessional.

0:04:14.142,0:04:16.421
What do you mean is there anything else?

0:04:16.421,0:04:18.953
I don't know. I--I masturbated into a kiwi fruit.

0:04:18.953,0:04:21.795
[audience laughs] Just let me leave.

0:04:21.795,0:04:25.007
I have stuff to do [laughter and clapping].

0:04:25.007,0:04:27.763
And the problem is if you do plead guilty

0:04:27.763,0:04:28.924
to a crime you didn't commit,

0:04:28.924,0:04:30.467
that does have it's own downsides

0:04:30.467,0:04:32.696
because unfortunately on a job application

0:04:32.696,0:04:33.856
next to the question:

0:04:33.856,0:04:35.837
have you ever been convicted of a crime?

0:04:35.837,0:04:37.171
Check yes or no.

0:04:37.171,0:04:39.400
Most don't then leave full pages

0:04:39.400,0:04:40.672
of blank space to explain

0:04:40.672,0:04:42.682
the social and economic inequalities

0:04:42.682,0:04:44.911
inherent in the legal system [light laughter].

0:04:44.911,0:04:47.046
And that brings us to your final option:

0:04:47.046,0:04:48.714
commercial bail bondsmen.

0:04:48.714,0:04:49.812
You know, the people who make

0:04:49.812,0:04:52.514
amazing ads like these:

0:04:52.514,0:04:53.551
Woman: Grumpy's Bail Bonds

0:04:53.551,0:04:56.658
has busted out all over middle Tennessee!

0:04:56.658,0:04:58.366
Prisoner: I ain't goin' out like that.

0:04:58.366,0:04:59.720
I'm a corporate bail bonds

0:04:59.720,0:05:00.850
'cuz they got my back!

0:05:00.850,0:05:02.133
They got me out in no time

0:05:02.133,0:05:03.629
and I'm back on track.

0:05:03.629,0:05:05.971
Man 1 [high pitched]: Jesus Christ Bail Bonds!

0:05:05.971,0:05:07.807
May God release you in a payment plan

0:05:07.807,0:05:08.970
by calling me!

0:05:08.970,0:05:11.737
I'm Bishop Barry of Jesus Christ Bail Bonds!

0:05:11.737,0:05:14.337
410-292-3029.

0:05:14.337,0:05:15.642
If you're locked up and afraid --

0:05:15.642,0:05:16.305
Man 2: Bail out!

0:05:16.305,0:05:17.042
Man 1: Bail out!

0:05:17.042,0:05:17.644
Man 2: Bail out!

0:05:17.644,0:05:18.252
Man 1: Bail out!

0:05:18.252,0:05:19.041
Man 2: Bail out!

0:05:19.041,0:05:19.450
Man 1: Bail out!

0:05:19.450,0:05:22.039
[high pitched voice] Jesus Christ Bail Bonds!

0:05:22.039,0:05:22.909
[audience laughs, claps, oohs]

0:05:22.909,0:05:23.804
Oliver: Yes.

0:05:23.804,0:05:25.301
[mimics Man 1 with high pitched voice] Jesus Christ

0:05:25.301,0:05:27.185
Bail Bonds [audience cheers and applauds]!

0:05:27.185,0:05:28.817
Amazing. And I will say,

0:05:28.817,0:05:30.953
it is a little weird given that

0:05:30.953,0:05:32.730
Jesus, pretty memorably I think,

0:05:32.730,0:05:35.758
was not bailed out [audience laughs].

0:05:35.758,0:05:37.635
He did eventually escape custody,

0:05:37.635,0:05:38.867
but it was a real work around

0:05:38.867,0:05:40.800
of the system [laughter].

0:05:40.800,0:05:42.842
Now here's how that system works.

0:05:42.842,0:05:44.506
Bail bondsmen promise the court

0:05:44.506,0:05:45.579
to pay your bail

0:05:45.579,0:05:47.914
if you fail to show up for a trial.

0:05:47.914,0:05:49.610
In exchange, you pay them 10-15%

0:05:49.610,0:05:50.807
of the bail amount,

0:05:50.807,0:05:52.014
which they then keep

0:05:52.014,0:05:54.386
regardless of how your trial goes.

0:05:54.386,0:05:56.155
So, if your bail is $5,000

0:05:56.155,0:05:57.323
and you're found innocent,

0:05:57.323,0:05:58.990
then you've basically just paid

0:05:58.990,0:06:01.096
a $750 fee to a bondsmen

0:06:01.096,0:06:03.055
for doing absolutely nothing wrong.

0:06:03.055,0:06:06.529
And paying $750 for absolutely nothing

0:06:06.529,0:06:08.066
should be reserved to one thing

0:06:08.066,0:06:09.437
and one thing only --

0:06:09.437,0:06:10.937
six months gym memberships.

0:06:10.937,0:06:12.427
[audience laughs and applauds] That's it.

0:06:12.427,0:06:14.062
You're not going to use it, Gerald.

0:06:14.062,0:06:15.427
You're going to use the treadmill twice

0:06:15.427,0:06:17.109
and that's it.

0:06:17.109,0:06:19.280
This is learning to speak Korean

0:06:19.280,0:06:21.742
all over again, Gerald [laughs].

0:06:22.522,0:06:25.385
And if you don't show up for your trial,

0:06:25.385,0:06:27.153
bail bondsmen routinely hire

0:06:27.153,0:06:28.917
bounty hunters to track you down.

0:06:28.917,0:06:30.588
And they have a frightening amount

0:06:30.588,0:06:31.744
of power.

0:06:31.744,0:06:33.492
Narrator: In all but 4 states,

0:06:33.492,0:06:35.465
the companies are legally allowed

0:06:35.465,0:06:37.383
to take almost any measure necessary

0:06:37.383,0:06:38.389
to capture a client,

0:06:38.389,0:06:40.432
including crossing state lines

0:06:40.432,0:06:42.332
and breaking into homes.

0:06:42.332,0:06:43.492
It's a dangerous business

0:06:43.492,0:06:44.829
for everyone involved.

0:06:44.829,0:06:47.525
With few rules and little oversight.

0:06:47.525,0:06:48.927
Oliver: Well, they're not kidding.

0:06:48.927,0:06:51.943
In 18 states, anyone can become a bounty hunter

0:06:51.943,0:06:53.905
regardless of education, training,

0:06:53.905,0:06:56.246
or prior criminal history.

0:06:56.246,0:06:57.146
Becoming a bounty hunter

0:06:57.146,0:06:58.177
is basically a lot like

0:06:58.177,0:06:59.653
becoming a social media expert.

0:06:59.653,0:07:01.677
[audience laughs] All it takes is

0:07:01.677,0:07:02.656
one to get bad enough

0:07:02.656,0:07:04.144
and not caring about whether strangers

0:07:04.144,0:07:06.185
hate you or not [audience laughs].

0:07:06.185,0:07:08.319
But then the news that any idiot

0:07:08.319,0:07:09.921
can be a bounty hunter

0:07:09.921,0:07:11.650
shouldn't really be that surprising to you

0:07:11.650,0:07:13.491
if you've ever turned on A &E

0:07:13.491,0:07:14.967
and stumbled across this:

0:07:14.967,0:07:16.626
Dog the Bounty Hunter: I am law man

0:07:16.626,0:07:17.962
on a mission from God.

0:07:17.962,0:07:19.989
When I say, "Freeze!"

0:07:20.999,0:07:22.075
They know what I'm saying.

0:07:22.075,0:07:22.769
Man 1: How's it going, man?

0:07:22.769,0:07:24.100
Dog the Bounty Hunter: Freeze, ****!!

0:07:24.100,0:07:29.145
[overlapping yelling]

0:07:29.145,0:07:31.418
The only way this guy will get away from us

0:07:31.418,0:07:33.386
is if he kills himself right now

0:07:33.386,0:07:35.251
and jumps into a pool of sharks.

0:07:35.251,0:07:36.523
[audience laughs, oohs]

0:07:36.523,0:07:39.273
Oliver: Okay, okay, I hate to be a stickler

0:07:39.273,0:07:40.825
over chronology, Dog,

0:07:40.825,0:07:42.489
but how do you kill yourself

0:07:42.489,0:07:44.594
and then jump into a pool of sharks?

0:07:44.594,0:07:45.993
[laughing]

0:07:45.993,0:07:47.890
That's the point of attention to detail, Dog,

0:07:47.890,0:07:49.791
that makes me worry about you

0:07:49.791,0:07:52.138
operating as an unregulated vigilante.

0:07:52.138,0:07:53.998
Now that show was so popular,

0:07:53.998,0:07:56.400
it inspired pretty much every other bail business

0:07:56.400,0:07:58.740
to pitch themselves as a reality show.

0:07:58.740,0:08:00.013
Just click around online

0:08:00.013,0:08:01.646
and you will find sizzle reels

0:08:01.646,0:08:04.920
for a veritable smorgasbord of similar shows.

0:08:05.307,0:08:06.417
♪ Walking and talking

0:08:06.417,0:08:07.678
♪ He acted like a criminal

0:08:07.678,0:08:08.729
♪ Running through the woods

0:08:08.729,0:08:10.269
♪ Like a four legged animal

0:08:10.269,0:08:11.259
Joe Ray: The bottom line is:

0:08:11.259,0:08:12.753
while you're on bond,

0:08:12.753,0:08:13.733
we own your ass.

0:08:13.733,0:08:14.705
Tonya: Dear Idiot,

0:08:14.705,0:08:15.957
We're coming to get you.

0:08:15.957,0:08:18.008
Brian: Bounty huntin' is a natural high.

0:08:18.008,0:08:19.469
You gotta think like them, be like them,

0:08:19.469,0:08:21.499
and react quicker than them.

0:08:21.499,0:08:22.980
Put your hands up!

0:08:22.980,0:08:24.461
Narrator: You want tough?

0:08:24.461,0:08:25.533
You want action?

0:08:25.533,0:08:27.099
Meet Big Benny.

0:08:27.739,0:08:29.941
They call him Teddy Bear.

0:08:29.941,0:08:31.311
Denise.

0:08:32.351,0:08:33.828
The Huntress.

0:08:34.498,0:08:35.647
Oliver: It doesn't stop there.

0:08:35.647,0:08:38.406
There's also Richard, the screwdriver.

0:08:38.406,0:08:40.863
Richard L., the other Richard.

0:08:40.863,0:08:43.456
Allison, the Greco-Roman wrestler.

0:08:43.456,0:08:44.253
Caroline,

0:08:44.253,0:08:45.383
the one who took up archery

0:08:45.383,0:08:47.126
after watching The Hunger Games.

0:08:47.126,0:08:48.384
And don't forget Jennifer,

0:08:48.384,0:08:50.825
the arthritic alpaca in a bowler hat.

0:08:50.966,0:08:53.299
Actually, you know what,

0:08:53.299,0:08:54.792
I now regret making fun of that,

0:08:54.792,0:08:55.932
now that I'm seeing the cast,

0:08:55.932,0:08:56.990
I get the appeal.

0:08:56.990,0:08:58.575
I want to see those characters grow.

0:08:58.575,0:09:00.499
[laughing]

0:09:00.499,0:09:01.564
Clearly,

0:09:01.564,0:09:04.075
these shows are in a competitive marketplace,

0:09:04.075,0:09:05.067
and the problem is,

0:09:05.067,0:09:06.745
when people try to stick out,

0:09:06.745,0:09:09.114
ideas like this happen:

0:09:09.114,0:09:10.639
Man: So what do we do differently,

0:09:10.639,0:09:12.239
we don't just bounty hunt,

0:09:12.239,0:09:13.686
we bounty race.

0:09:13.686,0:09:15.033
Narrator: Each week,

0:09:16.153,0:09:18.538
two new teams of bounty hunters,

0:09:20.098,0:09:21.575
go head to head.

0:09:21.575,0:09:23.235
Welcome to the most dangerous

0:09:23.235,0:09:24.973
competition on television.

0:09:24.973,0:09:27.063
Bail Chasers.

0:09:27.063,0:09:28.396
Oliver: Okay, first of all,

0:09:28.396,0:09:29.464
first of all,

0:09:29.464,0:09:31.191
the most dangerous competition on televison,

0:09:31.191,0:09:32.787
is The Bachelorette.

0:09:33.237,0:09:34.366
Those women have loved,

0:09:34.366,0:09:35.871
and they have lost.

0:09:35.871,0:09:38.976
Love is a reward, but it's also a risk godammit. It's a risk!

0:09:38.976,0:09:40.703
She's putting herself on the line.

0:09:40.703,0:09:42.544
She's there for the right reasons.

0:09:42.544,0:09:44.300
She sees her husband in that room.

0:09:45.700,0:09:46.914
And second,

0:09:46.914,0:09:49.020
it says something about

0:09:49.020,0:09:50.624
how comfortable we all are

0:09:50.624,0:09:52.181
with how our bail system works,

0:09:52.181,0:09:54.579
that a TV show where people with guns

0:09:54.579,0:09:56.633
hunt humans for sport

0:09:56.633,0:09:58.528
seems legitimate because we just think,

0:09:58.528,0:10:01.725
"Well, they're just doing their actual job."

0:10:01.725,0:10:04.270
And when you give bounty hunters this kind of power

0:10:04.270,0:10:05.994
bad things happen.

0:10:05.994,0:10:07.269
Female Reporter: Veteran Gene Travis

0:10:07.269,0:10:10.065
says he was sitting with his wife on his Bethpage front porch,

0:10:10.065,0:10:12.212
next thing he knows his barn is being searched,

0:10:12.212,0:10:15.646
and Travis has a stun gun pointed at his back.

0:10:15.646,0:10:18.183
The intruders Mark Brummett and his wife Angela.

0:10:18.183,0:10:21.703
Bounty hunters who police say had the wrong home.

0:10:21.703,0:10:23.646
Female Reporter 2: Clay was shot by one of the bondsman.

0:10:23.646,0:10:26.819
He was then transported to Ermac where he died.

0:10:26.819,0:10:28.396
Male Reporter: Was a bounty hunter justified

0:10:28.396,0:10:31.294
in tazzing a midwest city homeowner last saturday?

0:10:31.294,0:10:34.498
Was another justified in shooting his dog?

0:10:34.498,0:10:38.050
Police say the videotape they took, says no.

0:10:38.050,0:10:40.071
Oliver: Yeah, the video says no.

0:10:40.071,0:10:42.033
Basic human decency says no.

0:10:42.033,0:10:44.499
Even a magic 8 ball, having seen that would say,

0:10:44.499,0:10:49.571
"Holy shit, I can't believe you're even asking me. NO!"

0:10:49.571,0:10:51.613
Look, our current bail system

0:10:51.613,0:10:53.119
makes no sense,

0:10:53.119,0:10:54.941
and it does a lot of harm.

0:10:54.941,0:10:56.019
And the frustrating thing is,

0:10:56.019,0:10:58.558
we've known this for a long time.

0:10:58.558,0:11:00.360
Just watch this TV news special,

0:11:00.360,0:11:02.386
from 1964.

0:11:02.386,0:11:04.820
Man: Yes, the jails are bursting at the seams.

0:11:04.820,0:11:06.388
A problem of great concern

0:11:06.388,0:11:09.137
to New York City Commissioner of Correction Anna Kross.

0:11:09.137,0:11:12.006
Anna: Remaining in jail because you can't get bail

0:11:12.006,0:11:14.667
is really being punished before you're even found guilty.

0:11:14.667,0:11:16.033
As far as I was concerned,

0:11:16.033,0:11:18.127
that was not just,

0:11:18.127,0:11:21.544
that was destroying our concept of justice..

0:11:21.544,0:11:22.469
Oliver: That's right.

0:11:22.469,0:11:24.048
This problem has been obvious,

0:11:24.048,0:11:28.846
since it was considered okay to wear a wastebasket on your head.

0:11:28.846,0:11:32.022
But look, here's the good news:

0:11:32.022,0:11:33.320
There is a better way,

0:11:33.320,0:11:35.551
and it's already in use in our federal courts,

0:11:35.551,0:11:37.625
and in Washington D.C.

0:11:37.625,0:11:38.990
Narrator: Judges in Washington

0:11:38.990,0:11:40.734
are allowed to set money bail

0:11:40.734,0:11:43.172
only if the defendant can afford it.

0:11:43.172,0:11:45.226
The results have been far fewer people

0:11:45.226,0:11:46.906
spending time behind bars.

0:11:46.906,0:11:49.168
Judge: We are the only city in America

0:11:49.168,0:11:51.978
where tonight, at our jail,

0:11:51.978,0:11:55.308
there is not a single man or woman

0:11:55.308,0:11:58.385
who is sitting because they don't have the money

0:11:58.385,0:12:00.914
to meet their money bond.

0:12:00.914,0:12:02.121
Oliver: And it's a testament,

0:12:02.121,0:12:06.225
it's a testament [applause] to the state of our Justice system.

0:12:06.225,0:12:09.195
that "that" qualifies as bragging.

0:12:09.195,0:12:11.094
That should be the norm.

0:12:11.094,0:12:13.352
He's like a bus driver showing up at school saying,

0:12:13.352,0:12:16.400
"23 kids picked up, 23 kids dropped off,

0:12:16.400,0:12:18.563
I pitched a perfect game."

0:12:19.483,0:12:22.104
Pre-trial services works like this:

0:12:22.104,0:12:23.879
after you're arrested,

0:12:23.879,0:12:26.245
specialists assess if you're dangerous,

0:12:26.245,0:12:27.447
or if you're a flight risk.

0:12:27.447,0:12:29.008
If a judge decides you're not,

0:12:29.008,0:12:30.140
you can go home,

0:12:30.140,0:12:31.748
and they may monitor you with things like

0:12:31.748,0:12:34.018
drug tests or ankle monitors.

0:12:34.018,0:12:36.518
They even call you to remind you of your court dates.

0:12:36.518,0:12:38.209
It's a system built on interviews,

0:12:38.209,0:12:40.366
pre-arranged appearances,

0:12:40.366,0:12:41.481
and trust.

0:12:41.481,0:12:43.257
Much like, Scientology marriages,

0:12:43.257,0:12:46.096
only in this case, much more effective.

0:12:46.096,0:12:48.658
And pre-trial service programs

0:12:48.658,0:12:50.524
have succeeded around the country

0:12:50.524,0:12:53.401
in places ranging from Oregon to Florida,

0:12:53.401,0:12:55.775
and it is a truly frightening state of affairs,

0:12:55.775,0:12:59.510
when Florida is a model for progressive change.

0:12:59.510,0:13:00.766
It shouldn't be

0:13:00.766,0:13:03.215
a judicial example for anything.

0:13:03.215,0:13:04.346
Did you know, by the way,

0:13:04.346,0:13:05.341
that under Florida law,

0:13:05.341,0:13:07.142
if you possess over 5 grams of meth,

0:13:07.142,0:13:08.619
you can marry it.

0:13:08.619,0:13:09.481
That's a fact.

0:13:09.481,0:13:10.989
That's a legal fact.

0:13:10.989,0:13:13.468
That's an actual photo that ran in a newspaper's

0:13:13.468,0:13:15.631
wedding section in Florida.

0:13:15.631,0:13:20.251
And yet--and yet, even counties in Florida

0:13:20.251,0:13:23.135
recognized our money-bailed system is broken.

0:13:23.135,0:13:24.893
And not only is pre-trial services better,

0:13:24.893,0:13:26.194
it's cheaper.

0:13:26.194,0:13:27.732
A recent assessment of one system

0:13:27.732,0:13:30.243
showed it costing only a 10th as much

0:13:30.243,0:13:32.072
as keeping someone locked up,

0:13:32.072,0:13:33.278
which makes sense because

0:13:33.278,0:13:36.678
calling someone to check in costs virtually nothing,

0:13:36.678,0:13:39.548
<This message brought to you by your mother.

0:13:40.158,0:13:42.573
Your mother, she brought you into this world,

0:13:42.573,0:13:44.713
and would like to hear your f****** voice

0:13:44.713,0:13:46.783
once in awhile.>

0:13:46.783,0:13:52.190
So, if pre-trial services are fairer, better, and cheaper,

0:13:52.190,0:13:54.706
why aren't we all using it?

0:13:54.706,0:13:56.867
Well maybe, because thanks to reality shows,

0:13:56.867,0:13:59.603
we think that this is what justice looks like:

0:13:59.603,0:14:01.262
Dog: We're going to hunt this scum down.

0:14:01.262,0:14:04.242
[overlapped yelling]

0:14:04.242,0:14:06.542
Oliver: Bad Dog!

0:14:06.542,0:14:10.750
So, maybe we just need a new kind of reality show

0:14:10.750,0:14:12.884
to get us used to the alternative.

0:14:12.884,0:14:14.984
[police sirens]

0:14:14.984,0:14:16.340
Narrator: You want tough?

0:14:17.250,0:14:18.888
You want action?

0:14:21.798,0:14:23.329
Meet Steve Karn.

0:14:23.329,0:14:24.962
He's one of the most respected

0:14:24.962,0:14:28.560
pre-trial service case workers in the U.S.

0:14:28.560,0:14:30.536
Steve: So, let's see.

0:14:30.536,0:14:33.064
Okay, it looks like you were ticketed with public urination.

0:14:33.064,0:14:36.502
No priors. Seems like a one-off sort of thing.

0:14:36.502,0:14:37.673
Can we count on you to be back here

0:14:37.673,0:14:39.263
in 6 weeks for your trial?

0:14:39.263,0:14:41.181
Man: Uh..of course.

0:14:42.221,0:14:43.908
Steve: Great, we're done here.

0:14:47.847,0:14:50.872
Steve: Uh, I mean no. This is a routine thing.

0:14:50.872,0:14:53.653
Statistically, he's virtually guaranteed to turn up.

0:14:53.653,0:14:54.547
We're done here.

0:14:58.997,0:15:00.322
We're done here.

0:15:01.222,0:15:03.825
Narrator: They call Steve "The Hand Grenade,"

0:15:04.085,0:15:07.094
and he works with a crack team of legal enforcers.

0:15:07.884,0:15:09.196
Meet Debra.

0:15:11.516,0:15:14.248
Debra: Oh hello, this is Debra from Pre-Trial Services,

0:15:14.248,0:15:15.805
I'm just calling to remind you

0:15:15.805,0:15:18.150
about your upcoming court date this Thursday.

0:15:19.140,0:15:20.616
Well, you're welcome.

0:15:22.706,0:15:25.099
Narrator: They call her "The Viper."

0:15:26.459,0:15:33.755
Debra: I feel like a cat, you know [makes cat noises]

0:15:33.755,0:15:35.508
Alright, back to work.

0:15:35.508,0:15:39.726
[♪ hard rock]

0:15:39.726,0:15:41.604
Narrator: And then there's Brett.

0:15:41.604,0:15:43.526
Brett: So all these are risk assessments.

0:15:43.946,0:15:44.966
This is all computerized,

0:15:44.966,0:15:47.302
but you know I keep a hard-copy,

0:15:47.302,0:15:48.362
just in case.

0:15:49.677,0:15:53.920
Narrator: That's why they call him "The Annihilator." [machine gun]

0:15:55.431,0:15:59.788
And finally, Gerald, the guy in charge of urine tests.

0:15:59.788,0:16:00.950
Gerald: Clear.

0:16:00.950,0:16:02.622
If there is something in there that's illegal,

0:16:02.622,0:16:04.191
I'm gonna sniff it out.

0:16:04.191,0:16:05.631
'Cause that's what I do.

0:16:05.631,0:16:07.156
I'm a piss sniffer.

0:16:10.580,0:16:11.949
We got one.

0:16:12.498,0:16:15.040
Narrator: They call him "The Nose."

0:16:15.040,0:16:17.930
Gerald: You're really going to make a TV show out of this?

0:16:17.930,0:16:19.406
Who's going to watch it?

0:16:19.406,0:16:21.251
Narrator: You will.

0:16:21.251,0:16:22.463
Because this fall,

0:16:22.463,0:16:24.876
we'll bringing you all the thrills and excitement

0:16:24.876,0:16:27.053
of pre-trial supervision,

0:16:27.053,0:16:30.019
as this elite team brings people to justice.

0:16:30.250,0:16:31.956
Steve: Well, we don't bring them to justice,

0:16:31.956,0:16:33.120
it's more like we make arrangements

0:16:33.120,0:16:35.990
for them to bring themselves to justice.

0:16:37.561,0:16:39.933
This show is full of high-stakes drama.

0:16:39.933,0:16:43.936
Debra: You better pray I don't get you for secret Santa this year.

0:16:44.726,0:16:46.405
Brett: You don't want to f*** with Debra.

0:16:46.405,0:16:48.465
Narrator: And inter-office romance.

0:16:48.465,0:16:51.043
Debra: Gerald is a bloodhound.

0:16:51.043,0:16:52.707
Gerald: Oh yeah, she wants me.

0:16:52.707,0:16:54.250
If it wasn't for all them cats,

0:16:54.250,0:16:56.379
I would hit that.

0:16:56.379,0:16:58.518
I would knock the bottom out of it.

0:16:58.750,0:17:00.180
Narrator: But most importantly,

0:17:07.620,0:17:10.122
♪ Filling out forms, and filing them in triplicate.

0:17:10.122,0:17:12.487
♪ We won't lock you up if your crime's not significant.

0:17:12.487,0:17:15.159
♪ If you get a ticket for public urination,

0:17:15.159,0:17:17.594
♪ we won't lock you up so you lose your occupation.

0:17:17.594,0:17:19.869
♪ We ain't kicking in doors, screaming dead or alive,

0:17:19.869,0:17:22.808
♪ this is an office job, we all go home at 5.

0:17:22.808,0:17:25.304
♪ The system works well so there's no need for nervousness,

0:17:25.304,0:17:29.179
♪ it's all in the game at Pre-Trial services.

0:17:29.179,0:17:31.817
♪ [hard rock]

0:17:31.817,0:17:33.562
Narrator: PreTrial Services.

0:17:33.562,0:17:35.716
Coming this fall to A&E.