1399: Bail Reform | Skeptical Sunday

Jordan Harbinger (0:00)

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Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host, writer and researcher, Jessica Wynn. On the Jordan Harbinger Show, we decode the stories, secrets and skills of the world's most fascinating people. Our mission on the show is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker. During the week, we have long-form conversations with a variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers and performers. On Sundays, though, is Skeptical Sunday, a rotating guest co-host and I break down a topic you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic, such as the death industry, hypnosis, homeopathy, internet porn, diet supplements and more. If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of some of our favorite episodes about persuasion and negotiation, psychology, disinformation, junk science, crime and cults and more. That will help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show. Just visit jordanharbinger.com/start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started. Today we're talking about bail reform. This is one of those topics where half the people hear criminal justice. The other half hears crime and everybody immediately stops listening. Hopefully not everybody. All at once we have to discuss public safety, poverty, due process and who should be locked up and kept there. It's one of those topics that's right up there with teaching history accurately and maybe everyone should have health care in terms of controversy. So what is bail reform? Joining me to help break us out of the confusion is writer and researcher Jessica Wynn.

Jessica Wynn (3:06)

Hey Jordan, so I wouldn't say break us out because this system is designed to keep people in.

Jordan Harbinger (3:14)

That's right. Jail is already dark. So what's going on with bail? I think a lot of people probably don't even know really what this is. You pay money, you get out of jail? I don't know.

Jessica Wynn (3:22)

In theory, we have a criminal justice system built on one simple idea, innocent until proven guilty.

Jordan Harbinger (3:29)

Very noble, very constitutional fireworks, bald eagle. Toby Keith somehow starts playing.

Jessica Wynn (3:35)

And yet at this very moment, about 500,000 legally innocent people are sitting in jail waiting for trial.

Jordan Harbinger (3:43)

Right, because innocent until proven guilty. And they're waiting because why?

Jessica Wynn (3:48)

Because they're poor.