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Episode 60Apr 25, 2018

“The great lie at the heart of the criminal justice system”

Many people arrested for low-level offenses get bail set at amounts they can’t afford. Lives fall apart because of it.

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“The great lie at the heart of the criminal justice system”
Daniel Barry/Getty Images

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When Robin Steinberg and David Feige were public defenders in New York, they saw thousands of clients — often poor people of color — stuck in jail because they couldn’t make bail for minor offenses. They started the Bronx Freedom Fund to pay that bail and help people stay in their jobs and with their families while awaiting their day in court. Now they’re going national with The Bail Project. We talked with the husband-and-wife team about the economics of criminal justice reform. First though, this week’s news fixations: the bond market and (yes, more!) privacy on Facebook.