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ICYMI: Explainers on bail and and private police

John Oliver & Dan Kopf explain bail; and Sally Herships on Marketplace explains the growth of private police.

by Peter Wagner, June 8, 2015

Last night, comedian John Oliver did a great segment last night on bail (NSFW):

And on that topic, don’t miss Daniel Kopf’s article from two weeks ago on Priceonomics: America’s Peculiar Bail System. (Dan is a member of our Young Professionals Network. Stay tuned for the results of his research collaborations with us.)

And on Friday, Sally Herships on Marketplace did a great piece on the role, number and challenges of private police in the U.S. (Spoiler: There are more private police in the U.S. than public police, which raises troubling questions about who benefits when most policing isn’t in the public interest. Her story starts 13 minutes in.)

Related briefings:

  1. Are private prisons driving mass incarceration? +
  2. Some private prisons are, um, public. +
  3. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization +

2 responses:

  1. John Oliver Explains Bail (Prison Policy Blog) | Revolving Door says:
    June 9, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    […] Watch the HBO clip […]

  2. John Oliver attacks harmful mandatory minimum laws | Prison Policy Initiative says:
    July 29, 2015 at 9:45 am

    […] For related Last Week Tonight clips, see Oliver’s segments on U.S. prisons, police militarization, judicial elections, municipal violations, bail and private police. […]

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