WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.982 [theme music] 00:00:04.192 --> 00:00:05.605 Oliver: Bail. 00:00:05.605 --> 00:00:06.541 We're so used to it, 00:00:06.541 --> 00:00:08.976 it has become a fixture of American life. 00:00:08.976 --> 00:00:10.160 Sorrentino: Down here at the shore, 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:11.701 one minute you've got three girls in the jacuzzi, 00:00:11.701 --> 00:00:13.467 the next minute somebody's in jail 00:00:13.467 --> 00:00:15.180 and you have to bail them out. 00:00:15.180 --> 00:00:16.985 That's what happens down at the shore. 00:00:16.985 --> 00:00:18.952 [audience laughs] 00:00:18.952 --> 00:00:20.020 Oliver: The other thing that happens 00:00:20.020 --> 00:00:20.882 down at the shore? 00:00:20.882 --> 00:00:21.684 Chlamydia. 00:00:21.684 --> 00:00:25.342 Just a medically astounding rate of chlamydia. 00:00:25.342 --> 00:00:26.223 At it's heart, 00:00:26.223 --> 00:00:28.451 America's bail system sounds pretty simple. 00:00:28.451 --> 00:00:29.630 If you're charged with a crime, 00:00:29.630 --> 00:00:30.685 the court might ask for 00:00:30.685 --> 00:00:32.125 an amount of money as bond, 00:00:32.125 --> 00:00:33.430 and then return it to you 00:00:33.430 --> 00:00:35.124 once you show up for trial. 00:00:35.124 --> 00:00:36.068 And if you have that money, 00:00:36.068 --> 00:00:36.931 it's no big deal. 00:00:36.931 --> 00:00:37.731 But if you don't, 00:00:37.731 --> 00:00:39.506 you could be in big trouble. 00:00:39.506 --> 00:00:40.934 Just look at one example, 00:00:40.934 --> 00:00:42.207 a man called Miguel. 00:00:42.207 --> 00:00:43.214 He was arrested 00:00:43.214 --> 00:00:44.894 for driving with a suspended license. 00:00:44.894 --> 00:00:46.606 The court set bail at $1,000, 00:00:46.606 --> 00:00:47.644 and he had the choice 00:00:47.644 --> 00:00:51.977 pay it or await a trial in Riker's Island. 00:00:51.977 --> 00:00:53.219 And I'll let Miguel and his wife 00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:54.713 take the story from there. 00:00:54.713 --> 00:00:56.688 Miguel: I wouldn't wish Riker's 00:00:56.688 --> 00:00:57.643 on my worst enemy 00:00:57.643 --> 00:00:59.158 because it's rough. 00:00:59.158 --> 00:01:00.221 Wife: It's hard because... 00:01:00.221 --> 00:01:01.417 I had to borrow-- 00:01:01.417 --> 00:01:02.796 I had to try to borrow money 00:01:02.796 --> 00:01:04.665 from this person and this person 00:01:04.665 --> 00:01:06.751 and this person to try to get him out. 00:01:06.751 --> 00:01:07.426 He told the judge, 00:01:07.426 --> 00:01:09.807 "I can't afford $1,000 bill." 00:01:10.477 --> 00:01:12.097 So, he really didn't have a choice 00:01:12.097 --> 00:01:13.524 but to plead guilty. 00:01:14.244 --> 00:01:15.676 Oliver: Now, whether he was guilty or not, 00:01:15.676 --> 00:01:17.812 the fact is a non-violent offender 00:01:17.812 --> 00:01:19.512 spent time in Riker's 00:01:19.512 --> 00:01:21.478 because he didn't have $1,000. 00:01:21.478 --> 00:01:23.779 And this is a systemic problem. 00:01:23.779 --> 00:01:25.709 Increasing the bail has become a way 00:01:25.709 --> 00:01:26.510 to lock up the poor 00:01:26.510 --> 00:01:27.577 regardless of guilt 00:01:27.577 --> 00:01:29.619 because Miguel was a family man 00:01:29.619 --> 00:01:32.125 who posed no danger to society whatsoever. 00:01:32.125 --> 00:01:33.355 And he was stuck at Riker's, 00:01:33.355 --> 00:01:35.519 whereas millionaire Robert Durst 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:38.050 who'd been accused of murder in Texas, 00:01:38.050 --> 00:01:40.092 had a completely different experience 00:01:40.092 --> 00:01:41.457 of the bail system. 00:01:41.457 --> 00:01:43.625 Durst: I had been told by the detective, 00:01:43.625 --> 00:01:46.470 "You've been charged with murder. 00:01:46.470 --> 00:01:49.875 Bail has been set at $250,000." 00:01:49.875 --> 00:01:51.573 Interviewer: But was your intention 00:01:51.573 --> 00:01:54.607 when you put up the $250,000 to run away? 00:01:54.607 --> 00:01:56.798 Durst: Oh, goodbye $250,000. 00:01:56.798 --> 00:01:59.847 Goodbye, jail. I'm out! 00:02:00.182 --> 00:02:03.223 Oliver: I'm out! [audience booing] 00:02:03.223 --> 00:02:04.158 That of course, 00:02:04.158 --> 00:02:05.359 is an excerpt from Robert Durst's 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:07.494 children's books: Goodbye, Jail. 00:02:07.494 --> 00:02:08.988 [audience laughs and claps] 00:02:08.988 --> 00:02:09.895 Goodbye, money. 00:02:09.895 --> 00:02:10.931 Goodbye, bail. 00:02:10.931 --> 00:02:12.030 I killed them all, 00:02:12.030 --> 00:02:13.515 but goodbye jail. 00:02:13.905 --> 00:02:16.600 Of course, of course. 00:02:17.585 --> 00:02:18.799 The problem is 00:02:18.799 --> 00:02:20.760 the frequency and cost of bail 00:02:20.760 --> 00:02:22.240 has risen dramatically. 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.274 And it is disproportionately hurting the poor. 00:02:24.274 --> 00:02:25.628 In fact, in 2013, 00:02:25.628 --> 00:02:28.209 an analysis of New Jersey's jail population 00:02:28.209 --> 00:02:29.917 found that nearly 40% 00:02:29.917 --> 00:02:31.885 were being held solely because 00:02:31.885 --> 00:02:33.817 they couldn't meet the terms of their bail, 00:02:33.817 --> 00:02:35.275 which is crazy. 00:02:35.275 --> 00:02:36.253 Jail is supposed to be for 00:02:36.253 --> 00:02:37.411 dangerous criminals. 00:02:37.411 --> 00:02:38.825 If 40% of the group 00:02:38.825 --> 00:02:40.757 don't meet the basic criteria 00:02:40.757 --> 00:02:41.693 to be there, 00:02:41.693 --> 00:02:43.127 that should change your perception 00:02:43.127 --> 00:02:44.056 of what that group is. 00:02:44.056 --> 00:02:46.157 If 40% of the Girl Scouts 00:02:46.157 --> 00:02:47.132 were grown men, 00:02:47.132 --> 00:02:48.089 you'd feel weird about 00:02:48.089 --> 00:02:49.340 buying cookies from them. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:50.668 [audience laughs] 00:02:50.668 --> 00:02:54.268 So, what happens if you can't make bail? 00:02:54.268 --> 00:02:55.705 Well, much like a game of 00:02:55.705 --> 00:02:58.406 F***, Marry, Kill with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, 00:02:58.406 --> 00:03:01.588 there are a few terrible scenarios. 00:03:01.588 --> 00:03:03.741 [audience laughs, applauds] 00:03:03.741 --> 00:03:06.710 Option 1: You're sit in jail. 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:08.411 And again, if you're poor 00:03:08.411 --> 00:03:10.155 as this defensive attorney explains 00:03:10.155 --> 00:03:11.992 that has immediate consequences. 00:03:11.992 --> 00:03:13.727 Saunders: Our clients work at jobs 00:03:13.727 --> 00:03:15.858 where if you're absent, you're fired. 00:03:15.858 --> 00:03:17.486 Our clients live in shelters 00:03:17.486 --> 00:03:18.885 or in transitional housing. 00:03:18.885 --> 00:03:20.770 Places where if you're not there for the night, 00:03:20.770 --> 00:03:22.127 you're place is gone. 00:03:22.127 --> 00:03:23.363 So, there's a lot of different ways 00:03:23.363 --> 00:03:24.871 in which incarceration, 00:03:24.871 --> 00:03:26.206 even for a short period of time, 00:03:26.206 --> 00:03:28.341 can really destroy someone's life. 00:03:28.341 --> 00:03:29.126 Oliver: Exactly. 00:03:29.126 --> 00:03:30.570 Jail can do for your actual life, 00:03:30.570 --> 00:03:31.766 what being in a marching band 00:03:31.766 --> 00:03:33.189 can do for your social life. 00:03:33.189 --> 00:03:34.280 [audience laughs] 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.680 Even if you're in just for a little while, 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:39.019 it can destroy you [laughter, applause]. 00:03:39.019 --> 00:03:41.536 Destroy you [applause]. 00:03:41.536 --> 00:03:43.685 That means it's no wonder 00:03:43.685 --> 00:03:46.524 that many defendants who can't afford bail 00:03:46.524 --> 00:03:47.795 favor option number 2, 00:03:47.795 --> 00:03:50.482 simply pleading guilty even if you're not, 00:03:50.482 --> 00:03:52.762 as a former public defender explains. 00:03:52.762 --> 00:03:54.265 Feige: You sit in jail 00:03:54.265 --> 00:03:57.030 because you can't afford to pay your way to freedom. 00:03:57.030 --> 00:03:59.407 And you're often confronted with a deal 00:03:59.407 --> 00:04:00.592 that goes like this: 00:04:00.592 --> 00:04:02.006 "Plead guilty -- get out." 00:04:02.006 --> 00:04:04.213 "Maintain your innocence and go to trial." 00:04:04.213 --> 00:04:05.326 "Stay in." 00:04:05.546 --> 00:04:06.491 Oliver: And poor people 00:04:06.491 --> 00:04:08.308 are regularly choosing to admit guilt 00:04:08.308 --> 00:04:09.545 just to get out of there, 00:04:09.545 --> 00:04:10.878 which isn't good. 00:04:10.878 --> 00:04:12.211 The only time that's appropriate 00:04:12.211 --> 00:04:14.142 is in a Catholic confessional. 00:04:14.142 --> 00:04:16.421 What do you mean is there anything else? 00:04:16.421 --> 00:04:18.953 I don't know. I--I masturbated into a kiwi fruit. 00:04:18.953 --> 00:04:21.795 [audience laughs] Just let me leave. 00:04:21.795 --> 00:04:25.007 I have stuff to do [laughter and clapping]. 00:04:25.007 --> 00:04:27.763 And the problem is if you do plead guilty 00:04:27.763 --> 00:04:28.924 to a crime you didn't commit, 00:04:28.924 --> 00:04:30.467 that does have it's own downsides 00:04:30.467 --> 00:04:32.696 because unfortunately on a job application 00:04:32.696 --> 00:04:33.856 next to the question: 00:04:33.856 --> 00:04:35.837 have you ever been convicted of a crime? 00:04:35.837 --> 00:04:37.171 Check yes or no. 00:04:37.171 --> 00:04:39.400 Most don't then leave full pages 00:04:39.400 --> 00:04:40.672 of blank space to explain 00:04:40.672 --> 00:04:42.682 the social and economic inequalities 00:04:42.682 --> 00:04:44.911 inherent in the legal system [light laughter]. 00:04:44.911 --> 00:04:47.046 And that brings us to your final option: 00:04:47.046 --> 00:04:48.714 commercial bail bondsmen. 00:04:48.714 --> 00:04:49.812 You know, the people who make 00:04:49.812 --> 00:04:52.514 amazing ads like these: 00:04:52.514 --> 00:04:53.551 Woman: Grumpy's Bail Bonds 00:04:53.551 --> 00:04:56.658 has busted out all over middle Tennessee! 00:04:56.658 --> 00:04:58.366 Prisoner: I ain't goin' out like that. 00:04:58.366 --> 00:04:59.720 I'm a corporate bail bonds 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:00.850 'cuz they got my back! 00:05:00.850 --> 00:05:02.133 They got me out in no time 00:05:02.133 --> 00:05:03.629 and I'm back on track. 00:05:03.629 --> 00:05:05.971 Man 1 [high pitched]: Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 00:05:05.971 --> 00:05:07.807 May God release you in a payment plan 00:05:07.807 --> 00:05:08.970 by calling me! 00:05:08.970 --> 00:05:11.737 I'm Bishop Barry of Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 00:05:11.737 --> 00:05:14.337 410-292-3029. 00:05:14.337 --> 00:05:15.642 If you're locked up and afraid -- 00:05:15.642 --> 00:05:16.305 Man 2: Bail out! 00:05:16.305 --> 00:05:17.042 Man 1: Bail out! 00:05:17.042 --> 00:05:17.644 Man 2: Bail out! 00:05:17.644 --> 00:05:18.252 Man 1: Bail out! 00:05:18.252 --> 00:05:19.041 Man 2: Bail out! 00:05:19.041 --> 00:05:19.450 Man 1: Bail out! 00:05:19.450 --> 00:05:22.039 [high pitched voice] Jesus Christ Bail Bonds! 00:05:22.039 --> 00:05:22.909 [audience laughs, claps, oohs] 00:05:22.909 --> 00:05:23.804 Oliver: Yes. 00:05:23.804 --> 00:05:25.301 [mimics Man 1 with high pitched voice] Jesus Christ 00:05:25.301 --> 00:05:27.185 Bail Bonds [audience cheers and applauds]! 00:05:27.185 --> 00:05:28.817 Amazing. And I will say, 00:05:28.817 --> 00:05:30.953 it is a little weird given that 00:05:30.953 --> 00:05:32.730 Jesus, pretty memorably I think, 00:05:32.730 --> 00:05:35.758 was not bailed out [audience laughs]. 00:05:35.758 --> 00:05:37.635 He did eventually escape custody, 00:05:37.635 --> 00:05:38.867 but it was a real work around 00:05:38.867 --> 00:05:40.800 of the system [laughter]. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:42.842 Now here's how that system works. 00:05:42.842 --> 00:05:44.506 Bail bondsmen promise the court 00:05:44.506 --> 00:05:45.579 to pay your bail 00:05:45.579 --> 00:05:47.914 if you fail to show up for a trial. 00:05:47.914 --> 00:05:49.610 In exchange, you pay them 10-15% 00:05:49.610 --> 00:05:50.807 of the bail amount, 00:05:50.807 --> 00:05:52.014 which they then keep 00:05:52.014 --> 00:05:54.386 regardless of how your trial goes. 00:05:54.386 --> 00:05:56.155 So, if your bail is $5,000 00:05:56.155 --> 00:05:57.323 and you're found innocent, 00:05:57.323 --> 00:05:58.990 then you've basically just paid 00:05:58.990 --> 00:06:01.096 a $750 fee to a bondsmen 00:06:01.096 --> 00:06:03.055 for doing absolutely nothing wrong. 00:06:03.055 --> 00:06:06.529 And paying $750 for absolutely nothing 00:06:06.529 --> 00:06:08.066 should be reserved to one thing 00:06:08.066 --> 00:06:09.437 and one thing only -- 00:06:09.437 --> 00:06:10.937 six months gym memberships. 00:06:10.937 --> 00:06:12.427 [audience laughs and applauds] That's it. 00:06:12.427 --> 00:06:14.062 You're not going to use it, Gerald. 00:06:14.062 --> 00:06:15.427 You're going to use the treadmill twice 00:06:15.427 --> 00:06:17.109 and that's it. 00:06:17.109 --> 00:06:19.280 This is learning to speak Korean 00:06:19.280 --> 00:06:21.742 all over again, Gerald [laughs]. 00:06:22.522 --> 00:06:25.385 And if you don't show up for your trial, 00:06:25.385 --> 00:06:27.153 bail bondsmen routinely hire 00:06:27.153 --> 00:06:28.917 bounty hunters to track you down. 00:06:28.917 --> 00:06:30.588 And they have a frightening amount 00:06:30.588 --> 00:06:31.744 of power. 00:06:31.744 --> 00:06:33.492 Narrator: In all but 4 states, 00:06:33.492 --> 00:06:35.465 the companies are legally allowed 00:06:35.465 --> 00:06:37.383 to take almost any measure necessary 00:06:37.383 --> 00:06:38.389 to capture a client, 00:06:38.389 --> 00:06:40.432 including crossing state lines 00:06:40.432 --> 00:06:42.332 and breaking into homes. 00:06:42.332 --> 00:06:43.492 It's a dangerous business 00:06:43.492 --> 00:06:44.829 for everyone involved. 00:06:44.829 --> 00:06:47.525 With few rules and little oversight. 00:06:47.525 --> 00:06:48.927 Oliver: Well, they're not kidding. 00:06:48.927 --> 00:06:51.943 In 18 states, anyone can become a bounty hunter 00:06:51.943 --> 00:06:53.905 regardless of education, training, 00:06:53.905 --> 00:06:56.246 or prior criminal history. 00:06:56.246 --> 00:06:57.146 Becoming a bounty hunter 00:06:57.146 --> 00:06:58.177 is basically a lot like 00:06:58.177 --> 00:06:59.653 becoming a social media expert. 00:06:59.653 --> 00:07:01.677 [audience laughs] All it takes is 00:07:01.677 --> 00:07:02.656 one to get bad enough 00:07:02.656 --> 00:07:04.144 and not caring about whether strangers 00:07:04.144 --> 00:07:06.185 hate you or not [audience laughs]. 00:07:06.185 --> 00:07:08.319 But then the news that any idiot 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:09.921 can be a bounty hunter 00:07:09.921 --> 00:07:11.650 shouldn't really be that surprising to you 00:07:11.650 --> 00:07:13.491 if you've ever turned on A &E 00:07:13.491 --> 00:07:14.967 and stumbled across this: 00:07:14.967 --> 00:07:16.626 Dog the Bounty Hunter: I am law man 00:07:16.626 --> 00:07:17.962 on a mission from God. 00:07:17.962 --> 00:07:19.989 When I say, "Freeze!" 00:07:20.999 --> 00:07:22.075 They know what I'm saying. 00:07:22.075 --> 00:07:22.769 Man 1: How's it going, man? 00:07:22.769 --> 00:07:24.100 Dog the Bounty Hunter: Freeze, ****!! 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:29.145 [overlapping yelling] 00:07:29.145 --> 00:07:31.418 The only way this guy will get away from us 00:07:31.418 --> 00:07:33.386 is if he kills himself right now 00:07:33.386 --> 00:07:35.251 and jumps into a pool of sharks. 00:07:35.251 --> 00:07:36.523 [audience laughs, oohs] 00:07:36.523 --> 00:07:39.273 Oliver: Okay, okay, I hate to be a stickler 00:07:39.273 --> 00:07:40.825 over chronology, Dog, 00:07:40.825 --> 00:07:42.489 but how do you kill yourself 00:07:42.489 --> 00:07:44.594 and then jump into a pool of sharks? 00:07:44.594 --> 00:07:45.993 [laughing] 00:07:45.993 --> 00:07:47.890 That's the point of attention to detail, Dog, 00:07:47.890 --> 00:07:49.791 that makes me worry about you 00:07:49.791 --> 00:07:52.138 operating as an unregulated vigilante. 00:07:52.138 --> 00:07:53.998 Now that show was so popular, 00:07:53.998 --> 00:07:56.400 it inspired pretty much every other bail business 00:07:56.400 --> 00:07:58.740 to pitch themselves as a reality show. 00:07:58.740 --> 00:08:00.013 Just click around online 00:08:00.013 --> 00:08:01.646 and you will find sizzle reels 00:08:01.646 --> 00:08:04.920 for a veritable smorgasbord of similar shows. 00:08:05.307 --> 00:08:06.417 ♪ Walking and talking 00:08:06.417 --> 00:08:07.678 ♪ He acted like a criminal 00:08:07.678 --> 00:08:08.729 ♪ Running through the woods 00:08:08.729 --> 00:08:10.269 ♪ Like a four legged animal 00:08:10.269 --> 00:08:11.259 Joe Ray: The bottom line is: 00:08:11.259 --> 00:08:12.753 while you're on bond, 00:08:12.753 --> 00:08:13.733 we own your ass. 00:08:13.733 --> 00:08:14.705 Tonya: Dear Idiot, 00:08:14.705 --> 00:08:15.957 We're coming to get you. 00:08:15.957 --> 00:08:18.008 Brian: Bounty huntin' is a natural high. 00:08:18.008 --> 00:08:19.469 You gotta think like them, be like them, 00:08:19.469 --> 00:08:21.499 and react quicker than them. 00:08:21.499 --> 00:08:22.980 Put your hands up! 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:24.461 Narrator: You want tough? 00:08:24.461 --> 00:08:25.533 You want action? 00:08:25.533 --> 00:08:27.099 Meet Big Benny. 00:08:27.739 --> 00:08:29.941 They call him Teddy Bear. 00:08:29.941 --> 00:08:31.311 Denise. 00:08:32.351 --> 00:08:33.828 The Huntress. 00:08:34.498 --> 00:08:35.647 Oliver: It doesn't stop there. 00:08:35.647 --> 00:08:38.406 There's also Richard, the screwdriver. 00:08:38.406 --> 00:08:40.863 Richard L., the other Richard. 00:08:40.863 --> 00:08:43.456 Allison, the Greco-Roman wrestler. 00:08:43.456 --> 00:08:44.253 Caroline, 00:08:44.253 --> 00:08:45.383 the one who took up archery 00:08:45.383 --> 00:08:47.126 after watching The Hunger Games. 00:08:47.126 --> 00:08:48.384 And don't forget Jennifer, 00:08:48.384 --> 00:08:50.825 the arthritic alpaca in a bowler hat. 00:08:50.966 --> 00:08:53.299 Actually, you know what, 00:08:53.299 --> 00:08:54.792 I now regret making fun of that, 00:08:54.792 --> 00:08:55.932 now that I'm seeing the cast, 00:08:55.932 --> 00:08:56.990 I get the appeal. 00:08:56.990 --> 00:08:58.575 I want to see those characters grow. 00:08:58.575 --> 00:09:00.499 [laughing] 00:09:00.499 --> 00:09:01.564 Clearly, 00:09:01.564 --> 00:09:04.075 these shows are in a competitive marketplace, 00:09:04.075 --> 00:09:05.067 and the problem is, 00:09:05.067 --> 00:09:06.745 when people try to stick out, 00:09:06.745 --> 00:09:09.114 ideas like this happen: 00:09:09.114 --> 00:09:10.639 Man: So what do we do differently, 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:12.239 we don't just bounty hunt, 00:09:12.239 --> 00:09:13.686 we bounty race. 00:09:13.686 --> 00:09:15.033 Narrator: Each week, 00:09:16.153 --> 00:09:18.538 two new teams of bounty hunters, 00:09:20.098 --> 00:09:21.575 go head to head. 00:09:21.575 --> 00:09:23.235 Welcome to the most dangerous 00:09:23.235 --> 00:09:24.973 competition on television. 00:09:24.973 --> 00:09:27.063 Bail Chasers. 00:09:27.063 --> 00:09:28.396 Oliver: Okay, first of all, 00:09:28.396 --> 00:09:29.464 first of all, 00:09:29.464 --> 00:09:31.191 the most dangerous competition on televison, 00:09:31.191 --> 00:09:32.787 is The Bachelorette. 00:09:33.237 --> 00:09:34.366 Those women have loved, 00:09:34.366 --> 00:09:35.871 and they have lost. 00:09:35.871 --> 00:09:38.976 Love is a reward, but it's also a risk godammit. It's a risk! 00:09:38.976 --> 00:09:40.703 She's putting herself on the line. 00:09:40.703 --> 00:09:42.544 She's there for the right reasons. 00:09:42.544 --> 00:09:44.300 She sees her husband in that room. 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:46.914 And second, 00:09:46.914 --> 00:09:49.020 it says something about 00:09:49.020 --> 00:09:50.624 how comfortable we all are 00:09:50.624 --> 00:09:52.181 with how our bail system works, 00:09:52.181 --> 00:09:54.579 that a TV show where people with guns 00:09:54.579 --> 00:09:56.633 hunt humans for sport 00:09:56.633 --> 00:09:58.528 seems legitimate because we just think, 00:09:58.528 --> 00:10:01.725 "Well, they're just doing their actual job." 00:10:01.725 --> 00:10:04.270 And when you give bounty hunters this kind of power 00:10:04.270 --> 00:10:05.994 bad things happen. 00:10:05.994 --> 00:10:07.269 Female Reporter: Veteran Gene Travis 00:10:07.269 --> 00:10:10.065 says he was sitting with his wife on his Bethpage front porch, 00:10:10.065 --> 00:10:12.212 next thing he knows his barn is being searched, 00:10:12.212 --> 00:10:15.646 and Travis has a stun gun pointed at his back. 00:10:15.646 --> 00:10:18.183 The intruders Mark Brummett and his wife Angela. 00:10:18.183 --> 00:10:21.703 Bounty hunters who police say had the wrong home. 00:10:21.703 --> 00:10:23.646 Female Reporter 2: Clay was shot by one of the bondsman. 00:10:23.646 --> 00:10:26.819 He was then transported to Ermac where he died. 00:10:26.819 --> 00:10:28.396 Male Reporter: Was a bounty hunter justified 00:10:28.396 --> 00:10:31.294 in tazzing a midwest city homeowner last saturday? 00:10:31.294 --> 00:10:34.498 Was another justified in shooting his dog? 00:10:34.498 --> 00:10:38.050 Police say the videotape they took, says no. 00:10:38.050 --> 00:10:40.071 Oliver: Yeah, the video says no. 00:10:40.071 --> 00:10:42.033 Basic human decency says no. 00:10:42.033 --> 00:10:44.499 Even a magic 8 ball, having seen that would say, 00:10:44.499 --> 00:10:49.571 "Holy shit, I can't believe you're even asking me. NO!" 00:10:49.571 --> 00:10:51.613 Look, our current bail system 00:10:51.613 --> 00:10:53.119 makes no sense, 00:10:53.119 --> 00:10:54.941 and it does a lot of harm. 00:10:54.941 --> 00:10:56.019 And the frustrating thing is, 00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:58.558 we've known this for a long time. 00:10:58.558 --> 00:11:00.360 Just watch this TV news special, 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:02.386 from 1964. 00:11:02.386 --> 00:11:04.820 Man: Yes, the jails are bursting at the seams. 00:11:04.820 --> 00:11:06.388 A problem of great concern 00:11:06.388 --> 00:11:09.137 to New York City Commissioner of Correction Anna Kross. 00:11:09.137 --> 00:11:12.006 Anna: Remaining in jail because you can't get bail 00:11:12.006 --> 00:11:14.667 is really being punished before you're even found guilty. 00:11:14.667 --> 00:11:16.033 As far as I was concerned, 00:11:16.033 --> 00:11:18.127 that was not just, 00:11:18.127 --> 00:11:21.544 that was destroying our concept of justice.. 00:11:21.544 --> 00:11:22.469 Oliver: That's right. 00:11:22.469 --> 00:11:24.048 This problem has been obvious, 00:11:24.048 --> 00:11:28.846 since it was considered okay to wear a wastebasket on your head. 00:11:28.846 --> 00:11:32.022 But look, here's the good news: 00:11:32.022 --> 00:11:33.320 There is a better way, 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:35.551 and it's already in use in our federal courts, 00:11:35.551 --> 00:11:37.625 and in Washington D.C. 00:11:37.625 --> 00:11:38.990 Narrator: Judges in Washington 00:11:38.990 --> 00:11:40.734 are allowed to set money bail 00:11:40.734 --> 00:11:43.172 only if the defendant can afford it. 00:11:43.172 --> 00:11:45.226 The results have been far fewer people 00:11:45.226 --> 00:11:46.906 spending time behind bars. 00:11:46.906 --> 00:11:49.168 Judge: We are the only city in America 00:11:49.168 --> 00:11:51.978 where tonight, at our jail, 00:11:51.978 --> 00:11:55.308 there is not a single man or woman 00:11:55.308 --> 00:11:58.385 who is sitting because they don't have the money 00:11:58.385 --> 00:12:00.914 to meet their money bond. 00:12:00.914 --> 00:12:02.121 Oliver: And it's a testament, 00:12:02.121 --> 00:12:06.225 it's a testament [applause] to the state of our Justice system. 00:12:06.225 --> 00:12:09.195 that "that" qualifies as bragging. 00:12:09.195 --> 00:12:11.094 That should be the norm. 00:12:11.094 --> 00:12:13.352 He's like a bus driver showing up at school saying, 00:12:13.352 --> 00:12:16.400 "23 kids picked up, 23 kids dropped off, 00:12:16.400 --> 00:12:18.563 I pitched a perfect game." 00:12:19.483 --> 00:12:22.104 Pre-trial services works like this: 00:12:22.104 --> 00:12:23.879 after you're arrested, 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.245 specialists assess if you're dangerous, 00:12:26.245 --> 00:12:27.447 or if you're a flight risk. 00:12:27.447 --> 00:12:29.008 If a judge decides you're not, 00:12:29.008 --> 00:12:30.140 you can go home, 00:12:30.140 --> 00:12:31.748 and they may monitor you with things like 00:12:31.748 --> 00:12:34.018 drug tests or ankle monitors. 00:12:34.018 --> 00:12:36.518 They even call you to remind you of your court dates. 00:12:36.518 --> 00:12:38.209 It's a system built on interviews, 00:12:38.209 --> 00:12:40.366 pre-arranged appearances, 00:12:40.366 --> 00:12:41.481 and trust. 00:12:41.481 --> 00:12:43.257 Much like, Scientology marriages, 00:12:43.257 --> 00:12:46.096 only in this case, much more effective. 00:12:46.096 --> 00:12:48.658 And pre-trial service programs 00:12:48.658 --> 00:12:50.524 have succeeded around the country 00:12:50.524 --> 00:12:53.401 in places ranging from Oregon to Florida, 00:12:53.401 --> 00:12:55.775 and it is a truly frightening state of affairs, 00:12:55.775 --> 00:12:59.510 when Florida is a model for progressive change. 00:12:59.510 --> 00:13:00.766 It shouldn't be 00:13:00.766 --> 00:13:03.215 a judicial example for anything. 00:13:03.215 --> 00:13:04.346 Did you know, by the way, 00:13:04.346 --> 00:13:05.341 that under Florida law, 00:13:05.341 --> 00:13:07.142 if you possess over 5 grams of meth, 00:13:07.142 --> 00:13:08.619 you can marry it. 00:13:08.619 --> 00:13:09.481 That's a fact. 00:13:09.481 --> 00:13:10.989 That's a legal fact. 00:13:10.989 --> 00:13:13.468 That's an actual photo that ran in a newspaper's 00:13:13.468 --> 00:13:15.631 wedding section in Florida. 00:13:15.631 --> 00:13:20.251 And yet--and yet, even counties in Florida 00:13:20.251 --> 00:13:23.135 recognized our money-bailed system is broken. 00:13:23.135 --> 00:13:24.893 And not only is pre-trial services better, 00:13:24.893 --> 00:13:26.194 it's cheaper. 00:13:26.194 --> 00:13:27.732 A recent assessment of one system 00:13:27.732 --> 00:13:30.243 showed it costing only a 10th as much 00:13:30.243 --> 00:13:32.072 as keeping someone locked up, 00:13:32.072 --> 00:13:33.278 which makes sense because 00:13:33.278 --> 00:13:36.678 calling someone to check in costs virtually nothing, 00:13:36.678 --> 00:13:39.548 <This message brought to you by your mother. 00:13:40.158 --> 00:13:42.573 Your mother, she brought you into this world, 00:13:42.573 --> 00:13:44.713 and would like to hear your f****** voice 00:13:44.713 --> 00:13:46.783 once in awhile.> 00:13:46.783 --> 00:13:52.190 So, if pre-trial services are fairer, better, and cheaper, 00:13:52.190 --> 00:13:54.706 why aren't we all using it? 00:13:54.706 --> 00:13:56.867 Well maybe, because thanks to reality shows, 00:13:56.867 --> 00:13:59.603 we think that this is what justice looks like: 00:13:59.603 --> 00:14:01.262 Dog: We're going to hunt this scum down. 00:14:01.262 --> 00:14:04.242 [overlapped yelling] 00:14:04.242 --> 00:14:06.542 Oliver: Bad Dog! 00:14:06.542 --> 00:14:10.750 So, maybe we just need a new kind of reality show 00:14:10.750 --> 00:14:12.884 to get us used to the alternative. 00:14:12.884 --> 00:14:14.984 [police sirens] 00:14:14.984 --> 00:14:16.340 Narrator: You want tough? 00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:18.888 You want action? 00:14:21.798 --> 00:14:23.329 Meet Steve Karn. 00:14:23.329 --> 00:14:24.962 He's one of the most respected 00:14:24.962 --> 00:14:28.560 pre-trial service case workers in the U.S. 00:14:28.560 --> 00:14:30.536 Steve: So, let's see. 00:14:30.536 --> 00:14:33.064 Okay, it looks like you were ticketed with public urination. 00:14:33.064 --> 00:14:36.502 No priors. Seems like a one-off sort of thing. 00:14:36.502 --> 00:14:37.673 Can we count on you to be back here 00:14:37.673 --> 00:14:39.263 in 6 weeks for your trial? 00:14:39.263 --> 00:14:41.181 Man: Uh..of course. 00:14:42.221 --> 00:14:43.908 Steve: Great, we're done here. 00:14:47.847 --> 00:14:50.872 Steve: Uh, I mean no. This is a routine thing. 00:14:50.872 --> 00:14:53.653 Statistically, he's virtually guaranteed to turn up. 00:14:53.653 --> 00:14:54.547 We're done here. 00:14:58.997 --> 00:15:00.322 We're done here. 00:15:01.222 --> 00:15:03.825 Narrator: They call Steve "The Hand Grenade," 00:15:04.085 --> 00:15:07.094 and he works with a crack team of legal enforcers. 00:15:07.884 --> 00:15:09.196 Meet Debra. 00:15:11.516 --> 00:15:14.248 Debra: Oh hello, this is Debra from Pre-Trial Services, 00:15:14.248 --> 00:15:15.805 I'm just calling to remind you 00:15:15.805 --> 00:15:18.150 about your upcoming court date this Thursday. 00:15:19.140 --> 00:15:20.616 Well, you're welcome. 00:15:22.706 --> 00:15:25.099 Narrator: They call her "The Viper." 00:15:26.459 --> 00:15:33.755 Debra: I feel like a cat, you know [makes cat noises] 00:15:33.755 --> 00:15:35.508 Alright, back to work. 00:15:35.508 --> 00:15:39.726 [♪ hard rock] 00:15:39.726 --> 00:15:41.604 Narrator: And then there's Brett. 00:15:41.604 --> 00:15:43.526 Brett: So all these are risk assessments. 00:15:43.946 --> 00:15:44.966 This is all computerized, 00:15:44.966 --> 00:15:47.302 line:1 but you know I keep a hard-copy, 00:15:47.302 --> 00:15:48.362 just in case. 00:15:49.677 --> 00:15:53.920 Narrator: That's why they call him "The Annihilator." [machine gun] 00:15:55.431 --> 00:15:59.788 And finally, Gerald, the guy in charge of urine tests. 00:15:59.788 --> 00:16:00.950 Gerald: Clear. 00:16:00.950 --> 00:16:02.622 If there is something in there that's illegal, 00:16:02.622 --> 00:16:04.191 I'm gonna sniff it out. 00:16:04.191 --> 00:16:05.631 'Cause that's what I do. 00:16:05.631 --> 00:16:07.156 I'm a piss sniffer. 00:16:10.580 --> 00:16:11.949 We got one. 00:16:12.498 --> 00:16:15.040 Narrator: They call him "The Nose." 00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:17.930 Gerald: You're really going to make a TV show out of this? 00:16:17.930 --> 00:16:19.406 Who's going to watch it? 00:16:19.406 --> 00:16:21.251 Narrator: You will. 00:16:21.251 --> 00:16:22.463 Because this fall, 00:16:22.463 --> 00:16:24.876 we'll bringing you all the thrills and excitement 00:16:24.876 --> 00:16:27.053 of pre-trial supervision, 00:16:27.053 --> 00:16:30.019 as this elite team brings people to justice. 00:16:30.250 --> 00:16:31.956 Steve: Well, we don't bring them to justice, 00:16:31.956 --> 00:16:33.120 it's more like we make arrangements 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.990 for them to bring themselves to justice. 00:16:37.561 --> 00:16:39.933 This show is full of high-stakes drama. 00:16:39.933 --> 00:16:43.936 Debra: You better pray I don't get you for secret Santa this year. 00:16:44.726 --> 00:16:46.405 Brett: You don't want to f*** with Debra. 00:16:46.405 --> 00:16:48.465 Narrator: And inter-office romance. 00:16:48.465 --> 00:16:51.043 Debra: Gerald is a bloodhound. 00:16:51.043 --> 00:16:52.707 Gerald: Oh yeah, she wants me. 00:16:52.707 --> 00:16:54.250 If it wasn't for all them cats, 00:16:54.250 --> 00:16:56.379 I would hit that. 00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:58.518 I would knock the bottom out of it. 00:16:58.750 --> 00:17:00.180 Narrator: But most importantly, 00:17:07.620 --> 00:17:10.122 ♪ Filling out forms, and filing them in triplicate. 00:17:10.122 --> 00:17:12.487 ♪ We won't lock you up if your crime's not significant. 00:17:12.487 --> 00:17:15.159 ♪ If you get a ticket for public urination, 00:17:15.159 --> 00:17:17.594 ♪ we won't lock you up so you lose your occupation. 00:17:17.594 --> 00:17:19.869 ♪ We ain't kicking in doors, screaming dead or alive, 00:17:19.869 --> 00:17:22.808 ♪ this is an office job, we all go home at 5. 00:17:22.808 --> 00:17:25.304 ♪ The system works well so there's no need for nervousness, 00:17:25.304 --> 00:17:29.179 ♪ it's all in the game at Pre-Trial services. 00:17:29.179 --> 00:17:31.817 ♪ [hard rock] 00:17:31.817 --> 00:17:33.562 Narrator: PreTrial Services. 00:17:33.562 --> 00:17:35.716 Coming this fall to A&E.