A Call for Bail Reform: Wednesday September 19, 12 - 1 pm

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Midday_091912_hr_1_bailbonds.mp3

The U.S. is one of only two countries that allow for-profit bail bonding. People seeking pre-trial release can hire commercial bail bondsmen, sometimes for a hefty fee, who act as insurance agents, promising money bail to the courts. The Justice Policy Institute, a Washington DC think tank, says that the bail bonding system (which goes largely unregulated,) undermines the pretrial process, takes advantage of low income communities, and is ripe for corruption.  In reports rolling out this month, the group calls for sweeping bail reform and highlights the growing reliance on money bail, particularly in Baltimore. How to tighten up an expensive system, while keeping the public safe. With Tracy Velázquez, the executive director of the Justice Policy Institute and Jean Chung, author of a report on the Baltimore Bail System due out next week.

Guest host: Korva Coleman