Bail in the Midwest
Bail in the Midwest explores the integral role of bail in the criminal justice system. With its roots dating back hundreds of years, bail allows individuals charged with a crime to be free pending trial, while simultaneously ensuring public safety. However, efforts to reform the bail system have escalated across the country in recent years, with calls from advocates to reduce or even eliminate the incarceration of individuals charged with a crime. With violent crime on the rise, it has become apparent that the new laws put into place are not always effective. In each episode, we discuss the many challenges involving criminal justice reform, as lawmakers seek viable solutions.
Bail in the Midwest
Kim Ogg, District Attorney, Harris County, Texas
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Kim Ogg, the district attorney for Harris County, Texas. They discuss the tremendous negative impact of bail reform efforts in the nation’s third-largest county. We are offered a rare, insider’s look as District Attorney Ogg addresses the challenge of dealing with stakeholders less concerned about public safety than about playing politics. Among the concerns she addresses is the weaponization of the issue of bail, much to the detriment of the criminal justice system in Texas and beyond.