I am Kyle's self-indulgence

This week NPR featured a fascinating three-part story about problems with the bail system in America.

Part 1 and Part 2 deal with the inequality faced by defendants who can't afford to pay bail, and Part 3 gets into the business of bail bondsmen and a bail system that serves them and nobody else.

It's the third part I found most interesting. A couple of revelations that surprised me: most defendants who skip bail are caught NOT by bail bondsmen and their bounty hunters, but by sheriff's offices; and when a defendant fails to show up to court, bail bondsmen still do not have to pay the full bail, and sometimes still pay less than the fee they themselves collected.

From the news story the bail bondsmen system seems like a relic of the past that no longer serves the courts, the public, or inmates, but is perpetuated by a powerful bondsmen lobby.