The US is the only first-world country that commercializes bail. The for-profit industry rakes in more than $2 billion annually in revenue. Most criminal defendants can’t pay the full bail amount and must either stay in jail or pay a 10 percent fee to secure a bond, which they won’t recoup even if found not guilty.

In the premiere episode of our series Justice, VICE examines the winners and losers of for-profit criminal justice and explores the emerging alternatives.