Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    California bill aims to overhaul cash bail system

    There’s a new bill in California that would throw out how the bail system works. Critics of the system say that it punishes poor people for being poor. Some 46,000 people are behind bars in California, awaiting trial or sentencing. Many of those people are stuck in jail because they can’t afford bail.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Apr 5, 2017 • 1 min read

    There’s a new bill in California that would throw out how the bail system works. Critics of the system say that it punishes poor people for being poor. Some 46,000 people are behind bars in California, awaiting trial or sentencing. Many of those people are stuck in jail because they can’t afford bail. We speak with Democratic State Senator Robert Hertzberg, who introduced the bill.

    The full episode

    3 of 5
    Congress could get its first Korean American in 20 years
    1. 0:00LA congressional seat runoff: Jimmy Gomez v. Robert Lee Ahn
    2. 7:39Secret deals between LA neighborhood groups and developers
    3. 16:26California bill aims to overhaul cash bail systemYou’re reading this
    4. 26:33'Generation Wealth:' A cautionary tale in photographs
    5. 41:14Pepsi ad pulled after internet uproar
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jolie Myers

      Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Robert M. Hertzberg

      California State Senator, co-author of Senate Bill 10

      News

    The full episode

    3 of 5
    Congress could get its first Korean American in 20 years
    1. 0:00LA congressional seat runoff: Jimmy Gomez v. Robert Lee Ahn
    2. 7:39Secret deals between LA neighborhood groups and developers
    3. 16:26California bill aims to overhaul cash bail systemYou’re reading this
    4. 26:33'Generation Wealth:' A cautionary tale in photographs
    5. 41:14Pepsi ad pulled after internet uproar
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand