Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Dr. Alex Tabarrok, who is the Director of the Center for Study of Public Choice, The Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center which is a part of George Mason University.
Dr. Tabarrok is the author of several textbooks on economics and is the Co-Founder of Marginal Revolution University, which can be found at MRU.org. The accompanying blog, MarginalRevolution.com, has nearly 2,500 pages on an incredible variety of topics. There are also links to podcasts (and additional media) from the Mercatus Center.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Mike Whitlock, Executive Vice President and Partner of American Surety Company.  Mr. Whitlock provides a look at what’s going on with criminal justice in Illinois, a year after The SAFE-T Act was enacted. The Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, (SAFE-T Act), made a number of reforms to the criminal justice system, affecting policing, pretrial detention and bail, sentencing and corrections. While some tout its success, Mr. Whitlock offers facts to the contrary. https://www.asc-usi.com

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, John Looney, the President of the Montana Bail Agents Association, who is presently running for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives.  Mr. Looney provides a look at what’s going on with criminal justice in Big Sky Country and discusses his decision to enter politics, explaining why he feels it’s important to serve his community.  He also discusses two pending lawsuits -- one each in both federal and state court -- in which he has charged the Bozeman Municipal Court of unlawfully refusing to allow his bail agency to write bonds.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Kirk Shaw, a New Jersey bail bondsman and the author of the book, “Make America Safe: A Bail Bondsman's Story.”  Mr. Shaw offers a very personal insider’s look at the bail profession and addresses the challenges being faced by bondsmen due to ongoing bail reform efforts throughout the nation.  They discuss the greatly increased level of crime in our communities, despite claims by advocates that soft-on-crime laws are working.  Possible solutions for making our society safer for everyone are also addressed.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Scott Jones, co-founder of One Brother One Sister. The non-profit program offers courses on how to deal with addiction and mental health issues within communities, workplaces and home life. Specifically, One Brother One Sister educates individuals on the frontlines who see these issues on a daily basis. This includes first responders, corrections officers -- and bail agents, as a high percentage of incarcerated people meet the diagnostic criteria for drug abuse.

One Brother One Sister was co-founded by Mr. Jones and Karyn Hurley. They adopted the mission of helping first responders after Ms. Hurley lost her brother, who served as a firefighter and was a proud U.S. veteran. First responders face overwhelming adversity, stress and danger in their daily responsibilities which can take a toll on their physical, mental and emotional health. It is One Brother One Sister’s goal to give them the education, resources and support they need to thrive in their lives as well as their careers.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Jennifer Coffindaffer, Retired FBI Special Agent and host of the popular true crime podcast, "Break the Case with Jen Coffindaffer FBI." As true crime continues to captivate the public, it significantly influences perceptions of law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Ms. Coffindaffer provides a compelling, unsensationalized glimpse behind the headlines of some of the most harrowing cases.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Shelly Alexander, President of the Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Agents.  The discuss the challenges facing the bail industry in her state, which includes a potentially catastrophic constitutional amendment.  They also address the importance of having seasoned advocates in place when working with lawmakers to ensure that the interests of the profession are properly represented. 

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Kim Ogg, the district attorney for Harris County, Texas.  They discuss the tremendous negative impact of bail reform efforts in the nation’s third-largest county.  We are offered a rare, insider’s look as District Attorney Ogg addresses the challenge of dealing with stakeholders less concerned about public safety than about playing politics.  Among the concerns she addresses is the weaponization of the issue of bail, much to the detriment of the criminal justice system in Texas and beyond.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Doug Bedford, who previously served as undersheriff of Johnson County, Kansas and is currently running for sheriff in the same county.  They discuss the important role the sheriff’s office plays in maintaining public safety.  Among the issues they tackle is the need to address mental health requirements of individuals in custody, the widespread problem with drugs, as well as the challenge of getting various law enforcement agencies throughout the state to work well together.

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Jeff Reisig, the district attorney for Yolo County, California.  They discuss a 2022 study his office conducted that revealed that Yolo County’s zero bail policy had resulted in an increase of 163 percent in total crime and more than a 200 percent spike in violent crime.  Mr. Reisig shares his views on the current state of criminal justice and our court systems, and the measures that can be taken to bolster public safety.