Plead guilty and get out of jail, or maintain your innocence, wait for trial and stay in. Yeah, sounds like a solid plan.
On Sunday's "Last Week Tonight," John Oliver dug into one of the more questionable aspects of our criminal justice system: Bail. That's when the court asks you to put up a certain amount of money as insurance that you will show up for your court date.
But people without cash or resources are increasingly pleading guilty to crimes they didn't commit -- simply because they can't afford bail, and they don't want to remain in a dangerous prison. They, understandably, want to go home.
That, of course, has huge ramifications for them. When they're out, they will then have to contend with being a "convicted criminal," which affects things down the line like employment and housing.
As Oliver explains, the system seems better suited for the reality-TV industry than it is for the poor.
Once again, when it comes to America ...
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