1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,982 [theme music] 2 00:00:04,192 --> 00:00:05,605 Oliver: Bail. 3 00:00:05,605 --> 00:00:06,541 We're so used to it, 4 00:00:06,541 --> 00:00:08,976 it has become a fixture of American life. 5 00:00:08,976 --> 00:00:10,160 Sorrentino: Down here at the shore, 6 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:11,701 one minute you've got three girls in the jacuzzi, 7 00:00:11,701 --> 00:00:13,467 the next minute somebody's in jail 8 00:00:13,467 --> 00:00:15,180 and you have to bail them out. 9 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:16,985 That's what happens down at the shore. 10 00:00:16,985 --> 00:00:18,952 [audience laughs] 11 00:00:18,952 --> 00:00:20,020 Oliver: The other thing that happens 12 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:20,882 down at the shore? 13 00:00:20,882 --> 00:00:21,684 Chlamydia. 14 00:00:21,684 --> 00:00:25,342 Just a medically astounding rate of chlamydia. 15 00:00:25,342 --> 00:00:26,223 At it's heart, 16 00:00:26,223 --> 00:00:28,451 America's bail system sounds pretty simple. 17 00:00:28,451 --> 00:00:29,630 If you're charged with a crime, 18 00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:30,685 the court might ask for 19 00:00:30,685 --> 00:00:32,125 an amount of money as bond, 20 00:00:32,125 --> 00:00:33,430 and then return it to you 21 00:00:33,430 --> 00:00:35,124 once you show up for trial. 22 00:00:35,124 --> 00:00:36,068 And if you have that money, 23 00:00:36,068 --> 00:00:36,931 it's no big deal. 24 00:00:36,931 --> 00:00:37,731 But if you don't, 25 00:00:37,731 --> 00:00:39,506 you could be in big trouble. 26 00:00:39,506 --> 00:00:40,934 Just look at one example, 27 00:00:40,934 --> 00:00:42,207 a man called Miguel. 28 00:00:42,207 --> 00:00:43,214 He was arrested 29 00:00:43,214 --> 00:00:44,894 for driving with a suspended license. 30 00:00:44,894 --> 00:00:46,606 The court set bail at $1,000, 31 00:00:46,606 --> 00:00:47,644 and he had the choice 32 00:00:47,644 --> 00:00:51,977 pay it or await a trial in Riker's Island. 33 00:00:51,977 --> 00:00:53,219 And I'll let Miguel and his wife 34 00:00:53,219 --> 00:00:54,713 take the story from there. 35 00:00:54,713 --> 00:00:56,688 Miguel: I wouldn't wish Riker's 36 00:00:56,688 --> 00:00:57,643 on my worst enemy 37 00:00:57,643 --> 00:00:59,158 because it's rough. 38 00:00:59,158 --> 00:01:00,221 Wife: It's hard because... 39 00:01:00,221 --> 00:01:01,417 I had to borrow-- 40 00:01:01,417 --> 00:01:02,796 I had to try to borrow money 41 00:01:02,796 --> 00:01:04,665 from this person and this person 42 00:01:04,665 --> 00:01:06,751 and this person to try to get him out. 43 00:01:06,751 --> 00:01:07,426 He told the judge, 44 00:01:07,426 --> 00:01:09,807 "I can't afford $1,000 bill." 45 00:01:10,477 --> 00:01:12,097 So, he really didn't have a choice 46 00:01:12,097 --> 00:01:13,524 but to plead guilty. 47 00:01:14,244 --> 00:01:15,676 Oliver: Now, whether he was guilty or not, 48 00:01:15,676 --> 00:01:17,812 the fact is a non-violent offender 49 00:01:17,812 --> 00:01:19,512 spent time in Riker's 50 00:01:19,512 --> 00:01:21,478 because he didn't have $1,000. 51 00:01:21,478 --> 00:01:23,779 And this is a systemic problem. 52 00:01:23,779 --> 00:01:25,709 Increasing the bail has become a way 53 00:01:25,709 --> 00:01:26,510 to lock up the poor 54 00:01:26,510 --> 00:01:27,577 regardless of guilt 55 00:01:27,577 --> 00:01:29,619 because Miguel was a family man 56 00:01:29,619 --> 00:01:32,125 who posed no danger to society whatsoever. 57 00:01:32,125 --> 00:01:33,355 And he was stuck at Riker's, 58 00:01:33,355 --> 00:01:35,519 whereas millionaire Robert Durst 59 00:01:35,519 --> 00:01:38,050 who'd been accused of murder in Texas, 60 00:01:38,050 --> 00:01:40,092 had a completely different experience 61 00:01:40,092 --> 00:01:41,457 of the bail system. 62 00:01:41,457 --> 00:01:43,625 Durst: I had been told by the detective, 63 00:01:43,625 --> 00:01:46,470 "You've been charged with murder. 64 00:01:46,470 --> 00:01:49,875 Bail has been set at $250,000." 65 00:01:49,875 --> 00:01:51,573 Interviewer: But was your intention 66 00:01:51,573 --> 00:01:54,607 when you put up the $250,000 to run away? 67 00:01:54,607 --> 00:01:56,798 Durst: Oh, goodbye $250,000. 68 00:01:56,798 --> 00:01:59,847 Goodbye, jail. I'm out! 69 00:02:00,182 --> 00:02:03,223 Oliver: I'm out! [audience booing] 70 00:02:03,223 --> 00:02:04,158 That of course, 71 00:02:04,158 --> 00:02:05,359 is an excerpt from Robert Durst's 72 00:02:05,359 --> 00:02:07,494 children's books: Goodbye, Jail. 73 00:02:07,494 --> 00:02:08,988 [audience laughs and claps] 74 00:02:08,988 --> 00:02:09,895 Goodbye, money. 75 00:02:09,895 --> 00:02:10,931 Goodbye, bail. 76 00:02:10,931 --> 00:02:12,030 I killed them all, 77 00:02:12,030 --> 00:02:13,515 but goodbye jail. 78 00:02:13,905 --> 00:02:16,600 Of course, of course. 79 00:02:17,585 --> 00:02:18,799 The problem is 80 00:02:18,799 --> 00:02:20,760 the frequency and cost of bail 81 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,240 has risen dramatically. 82 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,274 And it is disproportionately hurting the poor. 83 00:02:24,274 --> 00:02:25,628 In fact, in 2013, 84 00:02:25,628 --> 00:02:28,209 an analysis of New Jersey's jail population 85 00:02:28,209 --> 00:02:29,917 found that nearly 40% 86 00:02:29,917 --> 00:02:31,885 were being held solely because 87 00:02:31,885 --> 00:02:33,817 they couldn't meet the terms of their bail, 88 00:02:33,817 --> 00:02:35,275 which is crazy. 89 00:02:35,275 --> 00:02:36,253 Jail is supposed to be for 90 00:02:36,253 --> 00:02:37,411 dangerous criminals. 91 00:02:37,411 --> 00:02:38,825 If 40% of the group 92 00:02:38,825 --> 00:02:40,757 don't meet the basic criteria 93 00:02:40,757 --> 00:02:41,693 to be there, 94 00:02:41,693 --> 00:02:43,127 that should change your perception 95 00:02:43,127 --> 00:02:44,056 of what that group is. 96 00:02:44,056 --> 00:02:46,157 If 40% of the Girl Scouts 97 00:02:46,157 --> 00:02:47,132 were grown men, 98 00:02:47,132 --> 00:02:48,089 you'd feel weird about 99 00:02:48,089 --> 00:02:49,340 buying cookies from them. 100 00:02:49,340 --> 00:02:50,668 [audience laughs] 101 00:02:50,668 --> 00:02:54,268 So, what happens if you can't make bail? 102 00:02:54,268 --> 00:02:55,705 Well, much like a game of 103 00:02:55,705 --> 00:02:58,406 F***, Marry, Kill with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, 104 00:02:58,406 --> 00:03:01,588 there are a few terrible scenarios. 105 00:03:01,588 --> 00:03:03,741 [audience laughs, applauds] 106 00:03:03,741 --> 00:03:06,710 Option 1: You're sit in jail. 107 00:03:06,710 --> 00:03:08,411 And again, if you're poor 108 00:03:08,411 --> 00:03:10,155 as this defensive attorney explains 109 00:03:10,155 --> 00:03:11,992 that has immediate consequences. 110 00:03:11,992 --> 00:03:13,727 Saunders: Our clients work at jobs 111 00:03:13,727 --> 00:03:15,858 where if you're absent, you're fired. 112 00:03:15,858 --> 00:03:17,486 Our clients live in shelters 113 00:03:17,486 --> 00:03:18,885 or in transitional housing. 114 00:03:18,885 --> 00:03:20,770 Places where if you're not there for the night, 115 00:03:20,770 --> 00:03:22,127 you're place is gone. 116 00:03:22,127 --> 00:03:23,363 So, there's a lot of different ways 117 00:03:23,363 --> 00:03:24,871 in which incarceration, 118 00:03:24,871 --> 00:03:26,206 even for a short period of time, 119 00:03:26,206 --> 00:03:28,341 can really destroy someone's life. 120 00:03:28,341 --> 00:03:29,126 Oliver: Exactly. 121 00:03:29,126 --> 00:03:30,570 Jail can do for your actual life, 122 00:03:30,570 --> 00:03:31,766 what being in a marching band 123 00:03:31,766 --> 00:03:33,189 can do for your social life. 124 00:03:33,189 --> 00:03:34,280 [audience laughs] 125 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,680 Even if you're in just for a little while, 126 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,019 it can destroy you [laughter, applause]. 127 00:03:39,019 --> 00:03:41,536 Destroy you [applause]. 128 00:03:41,536 --> 00:03:43,685 That means it's no wonder 129 00:03:43,685 --> 00:03:46,524 that many defendants who can't afford bail 130 00:03:46,524 --> 00:03:47,795 favor option number 2, 131 00:03:47,795 --> 00:03:50,482 simply pleading guilty even if you're not, 132 00:03:50,482 --> 00:03:52,762 as a former public defender explains. 133 00:03:52,762 --> 00:03:54,265 Feige: You sit in jail 134 00:03:54,265 --> 00:03:57,030 because you can't afford to pay your way to freedom. 135 00:03:57,030 --> 00:03:59,407 And you're often confronted with a deal 136 00:03:59,407 --> 00:04:00,592 that goes like this: 137 00:04:00,592 --> 00:04:02,006 "Plead guilty -- get out." 138 00:04:02,006 --> 00:04:04,213 "Maintain your innocence and go to trial." 139 00:04:04,213 --> 00:04:05,326 "Stay in." 140 00:04:05,546 --> 00:04:06,491 Oliver: And poor people 141 00:04:06,491 --> 00:04:08,308 are regularly choosing to admit guilt 142 00:04:08,308 --> 00:04:09,545 just to get out of there, 143 00:04:09,545 --> 00:04:10,878 which isn't good. 144 00:04:10,878 --> 00:04:12,211 The only time that's appropriate 145 00:04:12,211 --> 00:04:14,142 is in a Catholic confessional. 146 00:04:14,142 --> 00:04:16,421 What do you mean is there anything else? 147 00:04:16,421 --> 00:04:18,953 I don't know. I--I masturbated into a kiwi fruit. 148 00:04:18,953 --> 00:04:21,795 [audience laughs] Just let me leave. 149 00:04:21,795 --> 00:04:25,007 I have stuff to do [laughter and clapping]. 150 00:04:25,007 --> 00:04:27,763 And the problem is if you do plead guilty 151 00:04:27,763 --> 00:04:28,924 to a crime you didn't commit, 152 00:04:28,924 --> 00:04:30,467 that does have it's own downsides 153 00:04:30,467 --> 00:04:32,696 because unfortunately on a job application 154 00:04:32,696 --> 00:04:33,856 next to the question: 155 00:04:33,856 --> 00:04:35,837 have you ever been convicted of a crime? 156 00:04:35,837 --> 00:04:37,171 Check yes or no. 157 00:04:37,171 --> 00:04:39,400 Most don't then leave full pages 158 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:40,672 of blank space to explain 159 00:04:40,672 --> 00:04:42,682 the social and economic inequalities 160 00:04:42,682 --> 00:04:44,911 inherent in the legal system [light laughter]. 161 00:04:44,911 --> 00:04:47,046 And that brings us to your final option: 162 00:04:47,046 --> 00:04:48,714 commercial bail bondsmen. 163 00:04:48,714 --> 00:04:49,812 You know, the people who make 164 00:04:49,812 --> 00:04:52,514 amazing ads like these: 165 00:04:52,514 --> 00:04:53,551 Woman: Grumpy's Bail Bonds 166 00:04:53,551 --> 00:04:56,658 has busted out all over middle Tennessee! 167 00:04:56,658 --> 00:04:58,366 Prisoner: I ain't goin' out like that. 168 00:04:58,366 --> 00:04:59,720 I'm a corporate bail bonds 169 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:00,850 'cuz they got my back! 170 00:05:00,850 --> 00:05:02,133 They got me out in no time 171 00:05:02,133 --> 00:05:03,629 and I'm back on track. 172 00:05:03,629 --> 00:05:05,971 Man 1 [high pitched]: Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 173 00:05:05,971 --> 00:05:07,807 May God release you in a payment plan 174 00:05:07,807 --> 00:05:08,970 by calling me! 175 00:05:08,970 --> 00:05:11,737 I'm Bishop Barry of Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 176 00:05:11,737 --> 00:05:14,337 410-292-3029. 177 00:05:14,337 --> 00:05:15,642 If you're locked up and afraid -- 178 00:05:15,642 --> 00:05:16,305 Man 2: Bail out! 179 00:05:16,305 --> 00:05:17,042 Man 1: Bail out! 180 00:05:17,042 --> 00:05:17,644 Man 2: Bail out! 181 00:05:17,644 --> 00:05:18,252 Man 1: Bail out! 182 00:05:18,252 --> 00:05:19,041 Man 2: Bail out! 183 00:05:19,041 --> 00:05:19,450 Man 1: Bail out! 184 00:05:19,450 --> 00:05:22,039 [high pitched voice] Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 185 00:05:22,039 --> 00:05:22,909 [audience laughs, claps, oohs] 186 00:05:22,909 --> 00:05:23,804 Oliver: Yes. 187 00:05:23,804 --> 00:05:25,301 [mimics Man 1 with high pitched voice] Jesus Christ 188 00:05:25,301 --> 00:05:27,185 Bail Bonds [audience cheers and applauds]! 189 00:05:27,185 --> 00:05:28,817 Amazing. And I will say, 190 00:05:28,817 --> 00:05:30,953 it is a little weird given that 191 00:05:30,953 --> 00:05:32,730 Jesus, pretty memorably I think, 192 00:05:32,730 --> 00:05:35,758 was not bailed out [audience laughs]. 193 00:05:35,758 --> 00:05:37,635 He did eventually escape custody, 194 00:05:37,635 --> 00:05:38,867 but it was a real work around 195 00:05:38,867 --> 00:05:40,800 of the system [laughter]. 196 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,842 Now here's how that system works. 197 00:05:42,842 --> 00:05:44,506 Bail bondsmen promise the court 198 00:05:44,506 --> 00:05:45,579 to pay your bail 199 00:05:45,579 --> 00:05:47,914 if you fail to show up for a trial. 200 00:05:47,914 --> 00:05:49,610 In exchange, you pay them 10-15% 201 00:05:49,610 --> 00:05:50,807 of the bail amount, 202 00:05:50,807 --> 00:05:52,014 which they then keep 203 00:05:52,014 --> 00:05:54,386 regardless of how your trial goes. 204 00:05:54,386 --> 00:05:56,155 So, if your bail is $5,000 205 00:05:56,155 --> 00:05:57,323 and you're found innocent, 206 00:05:57,323 --> 00:05:58,990 then you've basically just paid 207 00:05:58,990 --> 00:06:01,096 a $750 fee to a bondsmen 208 00:06:01,096 --> 00:06:03,055 for doing absolutely nothing wrong. 209 00:06:03,055 --> 00:06:06,529 And paying $750 for absolutely nothing 210 00:06:06,529 --> 00:06:08,066 should be reserved to one thing 211 00:06:08,066 --> 00:06:09,437 and one thing only -- 212 00:06:09,437 --> 00:06:10,937 six months gym memberships. 213 00:06:10,937 --> 00:06:12,427 [audience laughs and applauds] That's it. 214 00:06:12,427 --> 00:06:14,062 You're not going to use it, Gerald. 215 00:06:14,062 --> 00:06:15,427 You're going to use the treadmill twice 216 00:06:15,427 --> 00:06:17,109 and that's it. 217 00:06:17,109 --> 00:06:19,280 This is learning to speak Korean 218 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:21,742 all over again, Gerald [laughs]. 219 00:06:22,522 --> 00:06:25,385 And if you don't show up for your trial, 220 00:06:25,385 --> 00:06:27,153 bail bondsmen routinely hire 221 00:06:27,153 --> 00:06:28,917 bounty hunters to track you down. 222 00:06:28,917 --> 00:06:30,588 And they have a frightening amount 223 00:06:30,588 --> 00:06:31,744 of power. 224 00:06:31,744 --> 00:06:33,492 Narrator: In all but 4 states, 225 00:06:33,492 --> 00:06:35,465 the companies are legally allowed 226 00:06:35,465 --> 00:06:37,383 to take almost any measure necessary 227 00:06:37,383 --> 00:06:38,389 to capture a client, 228 00:06:38,389 --> 00:06:40,432 including crossing state lines 229 00:06:40,432 --> 00:06:42,332 and breaking into homes. 230 00:06:42,332 --> 00:06:43,492 It's a dangerous business 231 00:06:43,492 --> 00:06:44,829 for everyone involved. 232 00:06:44,829 --> 00:06:47,525 With few rules and little oversight. 233 00:06:47,525 --> 00:06:48,927 Oliver: Well, they're not kidding. 234 00:06:48,927 --> 00:06:51,943 In 18 states, anyone can become a bounty hunter 235 00:06:51,943 --> 00:06:53,905 regardless of education, training, 236 00:06:53,905 --> 00:06:56,246 or prior criminal history. 237 00:06:56,246 --> 00:06:57,146 Becoming a bounty hunter 238 00:06:57,146 --> 00:06:58,177 is basically a lot like 239 00:06:58,177 --> 00:06:59,653 becoming a social media expert. 240 00:06:59,653 --> 00:07:01,677 [audience laughs] All it takes is 241 00:07:01,677 --> 00:07:02,656 one to get bad enough 242 00:07:02,656 --> 00:07:04,144 and not caring about whether strangers 243 00:07:04,144 --> 00:07:06,185 hate you or not [audience laughs]. 244 00:07:06,185 --> 00:07:08,319 But then the news that any idiot 245 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:09,921 can be a bounty hunter 246 00:07:09,921 --> 00:07:11,650 shouldn't really be that surprising to you 247 00:07:11,650 --> 00:07:13,491 if you've ever turned on A &E 248 00:07:13,491 --> 00:07:14,967 and stumbled across this: 249 00:07:14,967 --> 00:07:16,626 Dog the Bounty Hunter: I am law man 250 00:07:16,626 --> 00:07:17,962 on a mission from God. 251 00:07:17,962 --> 00:07:19,989 When I say, "Freeze!" 252 00:07:20,999 --> 00:07:22,075 They know what I'm saying. 253 00:07:22,075 --> 00:07:22,769 Man 1: How's it going, man? 254 00:07:22,769 --> 00:07:24,100 Dog the Bounty Hunter: Freeze, ****!! 255 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:29,145 [overlapping yelling] 256 00:07:29,145 --> 00:07:31,418 The only way this guy will get away from us 257 00:07:31,418 --> 00:07:33,386 is if he kills himself right now 258 00:07:33,386 --> 00:07:35,251 and jumps into a pool of sharks. 259 00:07:35,251 --> 00:07:36,523 [audience laughs, oohs] 260 00:07:36,523 --> 00:07:39,273 Oliver: Okay, okay, I hate to be a stickler 261 00:07:39,273 --> 00:07:40,825 over chronology, Dog, 262 00:07:40,825 --> 00:07:42,489 but how do you kill yourself 263 00:07:42,489 --> 00:07:44,594 and then jump into a pool of sharks? 264 00:07:44,594 --> 00:07:45,993 [laughing] 265 00:07:45,993 --> 00:07:47,890 That's the point of attention to detail, Dog, 266 00:07:47,890 --> 00:07:49,791 that makes me worry about you 267 00:07:49,791 --> 00:07:52,138 operating as an unregulated vigilante. 268 00:07:52,138 --> 00:07:53,998 Now that show was so popular, 269 00:07:53,998 --> 00:07:56,400 it inspired pretty much every other bail business 270 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,740 to pitch themselves as a reality show. 271 00:07:58,740 --> 00:08:00,013 Just click around online 272 00:08:00,013 --> 00:08:01,646 and you will find sizzle reels 273 00:08:01,646 --> 00:08:04,920 for a veritable smorgasbord of similar shows. 274 00:08:05,307 --> 00:08:06,417 ♪ Walking and talking 275 00:08:06,417 --> 00:08:07,678 ♪ He acted like a criminal 276 00:08:07,678 --> 00:08:08,729 ♪ Running through the woods 277 00:08:08,729 --> 00:08:10,269 ♪ Like a four legged animal 278 00:08:10,269 --> 00:08:11,259 Joe Ray: The bottom line is: 279 00:08:11,259 --> 00:08:12,753 while you're on bond, 280 00:08:12,753 --> 00:08:13,733 we own your ass. 281 00:08:13,733 --> 00:08:14,705 Tonya: Dear Idiot, 282 00:08:14,705 --> 00:08:15,957 We're coming to get you. 283 00:08:15,957 --> 00:08:18,008 Brian: Bounty huntin' is a natural high. 284 00:08:18,008 --> 00:08:19,469 You gotta think like them, be like them, 285 00:08:19,469 --> 00:08:21,499 and react quicker than them. 286 00:08:21,499 --> 00:08:22,980 Put your hands up! 287 00:08:22,980 --> 00:08:24,461 Narrator: You want tough? 288 00:08:24,461 --> 00:08:25,533 You want action? 289 00:08:25,533 --> 00:08:27,099 Meet Big Benny. 290 00:08:27,739 --> 00:08:29,941 They call him Teddy Bear. 291 00:08:29,941 --> 00:08:31,311 Denise. 292 00:08:32,351 --> 00:08:33,828 The Huntress. 293 00:08:34,498 --> 00:08:35,647 Oliver: It doesn't stop there. 294 00:08:35,647 --> 00:08:38,406 There's also Richard, the screwdriver. 295 00:08:38,406 --> 00:08:40,863 Richard L., the other Richard. 296 00:08:40,863 --> 00:08:43,456 Allison, the Greco-Roman wrestler. 297 00:08:43,456 --> 00:08:44,253 Caroline, 298 00:08:44,253 --> 00:08:45,383 the one who took up archery 299 00:08:45,383 --> 00:08:47,126 after watching The Hunger Games. 300 00:08:47,126 --> 00:08:48,384 And don't forget Jennifer, 301 00:08:48,384 --> 00:08:50,825 the arthritic alpaca in a bowler hat. 302 00:08:50,966 --> 00:08:53,299 Actually, you know what, 303 00:08:53,299 --> 00:08:54,792 I now regret making fun of that, 304 00:08:54,792 --> 00:08:55,932 now that I'm seeing the cast, 305 00:08:55,932 --> 00:08:56,990 I get the appeal. 306 00:08:56,990 --> 00:08:58,575 I want to see those characters grow. 307 00:08:58,575 --> 00:09:00,499 [laughing] 308 00:09:00,499 --> 00:09:01,564 Clearly, 309 00:09:01,564 --> 00:09:04,075 these shows are in a competitive marketplace, 310 00:09:04,075 --> 00:09:05,067 and the problem is, 311 00:09:05,067 --> 00:09:06,745 when people try to stick out, 312 00:09:06,745 --> 00:09:09,114 ideas like this happen: 313 00:09:09,114 --> 00:09:10,639 Man: So what do we do differently, 314 00:09:10,639 --> 00:09:12,239 we don't just bounty hunt, 315 00:09:12,239 --> 00:09:13,686 we bounty race. 316 00:09:13,686 --> 00:09:15,033 Narrator: Each week, 317 00:09:16,153 --> 00:09:18,538 two new teams of bounty hunters, 318 00:09:20,098 --> 00:09:21,575 go head to head. 319 00:09:21,575 --> 00:09:23,235 Welcome to the most dangerous 320 00:09:23,235 --> 00:09:24,973 competition on television. 321 00:09:24,973 --> 00:09:27,063 Bail Chasers. 322 00:09:27,063 --> 00:09:28,396 Oliver: Okay, first of all, 323 00:09:28,396 --> 00:09:29,464 first of all, 324 00:09:29,464 --> 00:09:31,191 the most dangerous competition on televison, 325 00:09:31,191 --> 00:09:32,787 is The Bachelorette. 326 00:09:33,237 --> 00:09:34,366 Those women have loved, 327 00:09:34,366 --> 00:09:35,871 and they have lost. 328 00:09:35,871 --> 00:09:38,976 Love is a reward, but it's also a risk godammit. It's a risk! 329 00:09:38,976 --> 00:09:40,703 She's putting herself on the line. 330 00:09:40,703 --> 00:09:42,544 She's there for the right reasons. 331 00:09:42,544 --> 00:09:44,300 She sees her husband in that room. 332 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:46,914 And second, 333 00:09:46,914 --> 00:09:49,020 it says something about 334 00:09:49,020 --> 00:09:50,624 how comfortable we all are 335 00:09:50,624 --> 00:09:52,181 with how our bail system works, 336 00:09:52,181 --> 00:09:54,579 that a TV show where people with guns 337 00:09:54,579 --> 00:09:56,633 hunt humans for sport 338 00:09:56,633 --> 00:09:58,528 seems legitimate because we just think, 339 00:09:58,528 --> 00:10:01,725 "Well, they're just doing their actual job." 340 00:10:01,725 --> 00:10:04,270 And when you give bounty hunters this kind of power 341 00:10:04,270 --> 00:10:05,994 bad things happen. 342 00:10:05,994 --> 00:10:07,269 Female Reporter: Veteran Gene Travis 343 00:10:07,269 --> 00:10:10,065 says he was sitting with his wife on his Bethpage front porch, 344 00:10:10,065 --> 00:10:12,212 next thing he knows his barn is being searched, 345 00:10:12,212 --> 00:10:15,646 and Travis has a stun gun pointed at his back. 346 00:10:15,646 --> 00:10:18,183 The intruders Mark Brummett and his wife Angela. 347 00:10:18,183 --> 00:10:21,703 Bounty hunters who police say had the wrong home. 348 00:10:21,703 --> 00:10:23,646 Female Reporter 2: Clay was shot by one of the bondsman. 349 00:10:23,646 --> 00:10:26,819 He was then transported to Ermac where he died. 350 00:10:26,819 --> 00:10:28,396 Male Reporter: Was a bounty hunter justified 351 00:10:28,396 --> 00:10:31,294 in tazzing a midwest city homeowner last saturday? 352 00:10:31,294 --> 00:10:34,498 Was another justified in shooting his dog? 353 00:10:34,498 --> 00:10:38,050 Police say the videotape they took, says no. 354 00:10:38,050 --> 00:10:40,071 Oliver: Yeah, the video says no. 355 00:10:40,071 --> 00:10:42,033 Basic human decency says no. 356 00:10:42,033 --> 00:10:44,499 Even a magic 8 ball, having seen that would say, 357 00:10:44,499 --> 00:10:49,571 "Holy shit, I can't believe you're even asking me. NO!" 358 00:10:49,571 --> 00:10:51,613 Look, our current bail system 359 00:10:51,613 --> 00:10:53,119 makes no sense, 360 00:10:53,119 --> 00:10:54,941 and it does a lot of harm. 361 00:10:54,941 --> 00:10:56,019 And the frustrating thing is, 362 00:10:56,019 --> 00:10:58,558 we've known this for a long time. 363 00:10:58,558 --> 00:11:00,360 Just watch this TV news special, 364 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,386 from 1964. 365 00:11:02,386 --> 00:11:04,820 Man: Yes, the jails are bursting at the seams. 366 00:11:04,820 --> 00:11:06,388 A problem of great concern 367 00:11:06,388 --> 00:11:09,137 to New York City Commissioner of Correction Anna Kross. 368 00:11:09,137 --> 00:11:12,006 Anna: Remaining in jail because you can't get bail 369 00:11:12,006 --> 00:11:14,667 is really being punished before you're even found guilty. 370 00:11:14,667 --> 00:11:16,033 As far as I was concerned, 371 00:11:16,033 --> 00:11:18,127 that was not just, 372 00:11:18,127 --> 00:11:21,544 that was destroying our concept of justice.. 373 00:11:21,544 --> 00:11:22,469 Oliver: That's right. 374 00:11:22,469 --> 00:11:24,048 This problem has been obvious, 375 00:11:24,048 --> 00:11:28,846 since it was considered okay to wear a wastebasket on your head. 376 00:11:28,846 --> 00:11:32,022 But look, here's the good news: 377 00:11:32,022 --> 00:11:33,320 There is a better way, 378 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,551 and it's already in use in our federal courts, 379 00:11:35,551 --> 00:11:37,625 and in Washington D.C. 380 00:11:37,625 --> 00:11:38,990 Narrator: Judges in Washington 381 00:11:38,990 --> 00:11:40,734 are allowed to set money bail 382 00:11:40,734 --> 00:11:43,172 only if the defendant can afford it. 383 00:11:43,172 --> 00:11:45,226 The results have been far fewer people 384 00:11:45,226 --> 00:11:46,906 spending time behind bars. 385 00:11:46,906 --> 00:11:49,168 Judge: We are the only city in America 386 00:11:49,168 --> 00:11:51,978 where tonight, at our jail, 387 00:11:51,978 --> 00:11:55,308 there is not a single man or woman 388 00:11:55,308 --> 00:11:58,385 who is sitting because they don't have the money 389 00:11:58,385 --> 00:12:00,914 to meet their money bond. 390 00:12:00,914 --> 00:12:02,121 Oliver: And it's a testament, 391 00:12:02,121 --> 00:12:06,225 it's a testament [applause] to the state of our Justice system. 392 00:12:06,225 --> 00:12:09,195 that "that" qualifies as bragging. 393 00:12:09,195 --> 00:12:11,094 That should be the norm. 394 00:12:11,094 --> 00:12:13,352 He's like a bus driver showing up at school saying, 395 00:12:13,352 --> 00:12:16,400 "23 kids picked up, 23 kids dropped off, 396 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,563 I pitched a perfect game." 397 00:12:19,483 --> 00:12:22,104 Pre-trial services works like this: 398 00:12:22,104 --> 00:12:23,879 after you're arrested, 399 00:12:23,879 --> 00:12:26,245 specialists assess if you're dangerous, 400 00:12:26,245 --> 00:12:27,447 or if you're a flight risk. 401 00:12:27,447 --> 00:12:29,008 If a judge decides you're not, 402 00:12:29,008 --> 00:12:30,140 you can go home, 403 00:12:30,140 --> 00:12:31,748 and they may monitor you with things like 404 00:12:31,748 --> 00:12:34,018 drug tests or ankle monitors. 405 00:12:34,018 --> 00:12:36,518 They even call you to remind you of your court dates. 406 00:12:36,518 --> 00:12:38,209 It's a system built on interviews, 407 00:12:38,209 --> 00:12:40,366 pre-arranged appearances, 408 00:12:40,366 --> 00:12:41,481 and trust. 409 00:12:41,481 --> 00:12:43,257 Much like, Scientology marriages, 410 00:12:43,257 --> 00:12:46,096 only in this case, much more effective. 411 00:12:46,096 --> 00:12:48,658 And pre-trial service programs 412 00:12:48,658 --> 00:12:50,524 have succeeded around the country 413 00:12:50,524 --> 00:12:53,401 in places ranging from Oregon to Florida, 414 00:12:53,401 --> 00:12:55,775 and it is a truly frightening state of affairs, 415 00:12:55,775 --> 00:12:59,510 when Florida is a model for progressive change. 416 00:12:59,510 --> 00:13:00,766 It shouldn't be 417 00:13:00,766 --> 00:13:03,215 a judicial example for anything. 418 00:13:03,215 --> 00:13:04,346 Did you know, by the way, 419 00:13:04,346 --> 00:13:05,341 that under Florida law, 420 00:13:05,341 --> 00:13:07,142 if you possess over 5 grams of meth, 421 00:13:07,142 --> 00:13:08,619 you can marry it. 422 00:13:08,619 --> 00:13:09,481 That's a fact. 423 00:13:09,481 --> 00:13:10,989 That's a legal fact. 424 00:13:10,989 --> 00:13:13,468 That's an actual photo that ran in a newspaper's 425 00:13:13,468 --> 00:13:15,631 wedding section in Florida. 426 00:13:15,631 --> 00:13:20,251 And yet--and yet, even counties in Florida 427 00:13:20,251 --> 00:13:23,135 recognized our money-bailed system is broken. 428 00:13:23,135 --> 00:13:24,893 And not only is pre-trial services better, 429 00:13:24,893 --> 00:13:26,194 it's cheaper. 430 00:13:26,194 --> 00:13:27,732 A recent assessment of one system 431 00:13:27,732 --> 00:13:30,243 showed it costing only a 10th as much 432 00:13:30,243 --> 00:13:32,072 as keeping someone locked up, 433 00:13:32,072 --> 00:13:33,278 which makes sense because 434 00:13:33,278 --> 00:13:36,678 calling someone to check in costs virtually nothing, 435 00:13:36,678 --> 00:13:39,548 00:13:42,573 Your mother, she brought you into this world, 437 00:13:42,573 --> 00:13:44,713 and would like to hear your f****** voice 438 00:13:44,713 --> 00:13:46,783 once in awhile.> 439 00:13:46,783 --> 00:13:52,190 So, if pre-trial services are fairer, better, and cheaper, 440 00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:54,706 why aren't we all using it? 441 00:13:54,706 --> 00:13:56,867 Well maybe, because thanks to reality shows, 442 00:13:56,867 --> 00:13:59,603 we think that this is what justice looks like: 443 00:13:59,603 --> 00:14:01,262 Dog: We're going to hunt this scum down. 444 00:14:01,262 --> 00:14:04,242 [overlapped yelling] 445 00:14:04,242 --> 00:14:06,542 Oliver: Bad Dog! 446 00:14:06,542 --> 00:14:10,750 So, maybe we just need a new kind of reality show 447 00:14:10,750 --> 00:14:12,884 to get us used to the alternative. 448 00:14:12,884 --> 00:14:14,984 [police sirens] 449 00:14:14,984 --> 00:14:16,340 Narrator: You want tough? 450 00:14:17,250 --> 00:14:18,888 You want action? 451 00:14:21,798 --> 00:14:23,329 Meet Steve Karn. 452 00:14:23,329 --> 00:14:24,962 He's one of the most respected 453 00:14:24,962 --> 00:14:28,560 pre-trial service case workers in the U.S. 454 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,536 Steve: So, let's see. 455 00:14:30,536 --> 00:14:33,064 Okay, it looks like you were ticketed with public urination. 456 00:14:33,064 --> 00:14:36,502 No priors. Seems like a one-off sort of thing. 457 00:14:36,502 --> 00:14:37,673 Can we count on you to be back here 458 00:14:37,673 --> 00:14:39,263 in 6 weeks for your trial? 459 00:14:39,263 --> 00:14:41,181 Man: Uh..of course. 460 00:14:42,221 --> 00:14:43,908 Steve: Great, we're done here. 461 00:14:47,847 --> 00:14:50,872 Steve: Uh, I mean no. This is a routine thing. 462 00:14:50,872 --> 00:14:53,653 Statistically, he's virtually guaranteed to turn up. 463 00:14:53,653 --> 00:14:54,547 We're done here. 464 00:14:58,997 --> 00:15:00,322 We're done here. 465 00:15:01,222 --> 00:15:03,825 Narrator: They call Steve "The Hand Grenade," 466 00:15:04,085 --> 00:15:07,094 and he works with a crack team of legal enforcers. 467 00:15:07,884 --> 00:15:09,196 Meet Debra. 468 00:15:11,516 --> 00:15:14,248 Debra: Oh hello, this is Debra from Pre-Trial Services, 469 00:15:14,248 --> 00:15:15,805 I'm just calling to remind you 470 00:15:15,805 --> 00:15:18,150 about your upcoming court date this Thursday. 471 00:15:19,140 --> 00:15:20,616 Well, you're welcome. 472 00:15:22,706 --> 00:15:25,099 Narrator: They call her "The Viper." 473 00:15:26,459 --> 00:15:33,755 Debra: I feel like a cat, you know [makes cat noises] 474 00:15:33,755 --> 00:15:35,508 Alright, back to work. 475 00:15:35,508 --> 00:15:39,726 [♪ hard rock] 476 00:15:39,726 --> 00:15:41,604 Narrator: And then there's Brett. 477 00:15:41,604 --> 00:15:43,526 Brett: So all these are risk assessments. 478 00:15:43,946 --> 00:15:44,966 This is all computerized, 479 00:15:44,966 --> 00:15:47,302 but you know I keep a hard-copy, 480 00:15:47,302 --> 00:15:48,362 just in case. 481 00:15:49,677 --> 00:15:53,920 Narrator: That's why they call him "The Annihilator." [machine gun] 482 00:15:55,431 --> 00:15:59,788 And finally, Gerald, the guy in charge of urine tests. 483 00:15:59,788 --> 00:16:00,950 Gerald: Clear. 484 00:16:00,950 --> 00:16:02,622 If there is something in there that's illegal, 485 00:16:02,622 --> 00:16:04,191 I'm gonna sniff it out. 486 00:16:04,191 --> 00:16:05,631 'Cause that's what I do. 487 00:16:05,631 --> 00:16:07,156 I'm a piss sniffer. 488 00:16:10,580 --> 00:16:11,949 We got one. 489 00:16:12,498 --> 00:16:15,040 Narrator: They call him "The Nose." 490 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,930 Gerald: You're really going to make a TV show out of this? 491 00:16:17,930 --> 00:16:19,406 Who's going to watch it? 492 00:16:19,406 --> 00:16:21,251 Narrator: You will. 493 00:16:21,251 --> 00:16:22,463 Because this fall, 494 00:16:22,463 --> 00:16:24,876 we'll bringing you all the thrills and excitement 495 00:16:24,876 --> 00:16:27,053 of pre-trial supervision, 496 00:16:27,053 --> 00:16:30,019 as this elite team brings people to justice. 497 00:16:30,250 --> 00:16:31,956 Steve: Well, we don't bring them to justice, 498 00:16:31,956 --> 00:16:33,120 it's more like we make arrangements 499 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,990 for them to bring themselves to justice. 500 00:16:37,561 --> 00:16:39,933 This show is full of high-stakes drama. 501 00:16:39,933 --> 00:16:43,936 Debra: You better pray I don't get you for secret Santa this year. 502 00:16:44,726 --> 00:16:46,405 Brett: You don't want to f*** with Debra. 503 00:16:46,405 --> 00:16:48,465 Narrator: And inter-office romance. 504 00:16:48,465 --> 00:16:51,043 Debra: Gerald is a bloodhound. 505 00:16:51,043 --> 00:16:52,707 Gerald: Oh yeah, she wants me. 506 00:16:52,707 --> 00:16:54,250 If it wasn't for all them cats, 507 00:16:54,250 --> 00:16:56,379 I would hit that. 508 00:16:56,379 --> 00:16:58,518 I would knock the bottom out of it. 509 00:16:58,750 --> 00:17:00,180 Narrator: But most importantly, 510 00:17:07,620 --> 00:17:10,122 ♪ Filling out forms, and filing them in triplicate. 511 00:17:10,122 --> 00:17:12,487 ♪ We won't lock you up if your crime's not significant. 512 00:17:12,487 --> 00:17:15,159 ♪ If you get a ticket for public urination, 513 00:17:15,159 --> 00:17:17,594 ♪ we won't lock you up so you lose your occupation. 514 00:17:17,594 --> 00:17:19,869 ♪ We ain't kicking in doors, screaming dead or alive, 515 00:17:19,869 --> 00:17:22,808 ♪ this is an office job, we all go home at 5. 516 00:17:22,808 --> 00:17:25,304 ♪ The system works well so there's no need for nervousness, 517 00:17:25,304 --> 00:17:29,179 ♪ it's all in the game at Pre-Trial services. 518 00:17:29,179 --> 00:17:31,817 ♪ [hard rock] 519 00:17:31,817 --> 00:17:33,562 Narrator: PreTrial Services. 520 00:17:33,562 --> 00:17:35,716 Coming this fall to A&E.