Welcome to the forum thread for "Bail Bondsmen, Bounty Hunters and Private Prisons: Free Enterprise and the Criminal Justice System," the Justice Talking show for the week of April 21 - April 27, 2008.

America’s free enterprise system is at work in many aspects of the criminal justice system. Profit-making bail bondsmen who help defendants post the money needed for their freedom pending trial are common in the U.S. but virtually unheard of across the rest of the world. Bounty hunters lured by big payouts find criminals who have previously eluded the police. And private companies are building and operating prisons and detention facilities. Tune in to this edition of Justice Talking where we ask whether profit and justice can mix. Should governments that are more transparent and accountable to the public operate these programs? Or are the advantages of American ingenuity that are a key part of private enterprise too good to pass up?

Please post your comments on this Justice Talking issue using this thread.

Thanks for your participation!

Judy Jarvis
Outreach Coordinator