Bail Bonds in the U.S.

NPR All Things Considered has a three part series about the bail bond system in the U.S.
streaming or .mp3, with transcripts available.

• Burden Keeps U.S. Jails Stuffed With Inmates Jan. 21,  ± 20 min.
• Inmates Who Can't Make Bail Face Stark Options Jan. 22,  ± 7 min. 
• Bondsman Lobby Targets Pretrial Release Programs Jan. 23,  ± 8 min.