Bail in the Midwest
Bail in the Midwest explores the integral role of bail in the criminal justice system. With its roots dating back hundreds of years, bail allows individuals charged with a crime to be free pending trial, while simultaneously ensuring public safety. However, efforts to reform the bail system have escalated across the country in recent years, with calls from advocates to reduce or even eliminate the incarceration of individuals charged with a crime. With violent crime on the rise, it has become apparent that the new laws put into place are not always effective. In each episode, we discuss the many challenges involving criminal justice reform, as lawmakers seek viable solutions. Bail in the Midwest is hosted by Shane Rolf, Executive Vice-President of the Kansas Bail Agents Association. David Stuckman, President of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States is Executive Producer of the podcast.
Episodes
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Mike Solan, 27-Year Law Enforcement Veteran and former President of the Seattle Police Officers guild. Mike is currently a candidate for Pierce County Council (Washington State) and discusses voter apathy while encouraging the public to re-engage with issues that affect them. These issues include providing adequate staffing and resources for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and first ...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Chris Blaylock, a veteran bail professional whose career spans retail bail agency ownership, national advocacy and surety leadership. Mr. Blaylock reflects on his years operating a New Jersey bail agency that was ultimately forced to close following the state’s bail reform changes and how that experience led him to nearly a decade of advocacy work with the American Bail Coalition, whe...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, James Lindblad, Past President of the Professional Bail Agents of Hawaii, as they discuss the evolution and current challenges of Hawaii’s bail system. Mr. Lindblad reflects on his career in pre-trial release work beginning in the 1970s and later as a bail bondsman, offering a long-view perspective on how bail practice has changed over time. The conversation focuses on Hawaii&rs...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Courtney Wimer, President of the Washington State Bail Agents Association, as they discuss proposed changes to court rules in Washington and their potential impact on the state’s pretrial system. Ms. Wimer explains how the proposed “high likelihood of willful flight” standard, new limits on misdemeanor bond amounts and restrictions on judicial discretion could fundamentall...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Susan Oetting, a Fort Wayne bail bondsman, fugitive recovery agent and author writing under the name “Grandma Susan.” Ms. Oetting discusses her path into the bail profession and her work with a fourth-generation Indiana bonding company, while offering an inside look at the realities of fugitive recovery far removed from Hollywood portrayals of bounty hunters. Drawing from ...
Join host Shane Rolf as he interviews Mike Willever, a retired veteran of both local and federal law enforcement. Mike is the host of the Active Self Protection podcast, a show is consistently recognized as a top podcast in the area of self-defense. Active Self Protection, Mike's company, also provides training, both live and online.
Shane and Mike discuss the mindset someone needs to foster to engage in Active Self Pr...
In this solo episode, host Shane Rolf examines the growing use of “cashless bail” and how these policies often lead to preventable tragedies. Drawing on recent high-profile cases from North Carolina, Illinois and Kansas -- including the murders of Iryna Zarutska -- individuals with extensive criminal histories are frequently released on signature bonds, despite prior failures to appear and escalating conduct. ...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Tracey Halley-Terrell, President of the Oklahoma Bondsman Association.
Shane and Tracey discuss bail in Oklahoma, charitable bail funds and the growing issue of fraud.
To learn more about Tracey, visit okbondsman.com.
Join host Shane Rolf and guest Mike Morrison, President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association and owner of Mike Morrison Bail Bonding. Mr. Morrison discusses the challenges and inconsistencies bail agents face across different counties and states. He shares how Mississippi is working to modernize education, update outdated statutes and bring more uniformity to bail practices. They also discuss crime trends, t...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Patricia Wenskunas, survivor of a violent crime and Founder and CEO of Crime Survivors, Inc.
Shane and Patricia discuss her work with her organization, Crime Survivors, Inc. They address negative effect of bail reform and how oftentimes crime survivors are overlooked in the criminal justice process.
To learn more about Patricia, visit CrimeSurvivors.org.
Join host Shane Rolf and guest Michael Woody, Owner of 828 Bail Bonds. Mr. Woody serves as the North Carolina Chairman of the National Association of Bail Agents, in addition to being a board member of the North Carolina Bail Agents Association. They discuss the brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte -- a crime committed by a man with at least 14 prior arrests who had been released on a simple promise to app...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, David Kain, who is a police instructor in Georgia.
Kain sheds a little bit on the real world of bail enforcement and how those in the bail industry can avoid becoming the bad guys while they're bringing back the real bad guys.
Kain is police officer in Georgia and is a state certified police instructor in multiple areas, many of which are critical to bail bondsmen and bounty hunters...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Brenda Dietzman, motivational speaker and former Sedgwick County Undersheriff in Kansas.
Brenda received at least a dozen notable awards while in law enforcement. Upon retiring, she started Wayfinder Consulting, LLC, where she focuses on leadership and management – especially in a law enforcement and/or corrections setting. She offers online courses, consulting and individual trainin...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Eric Granof, Vice President of Corporate Communications at AIA Surety.
Shane and Eric have an in-depth discussion on bail reform and criminal justice issues, exploring the funding and origins of the bail reform movement, its impact on the criminal justice system, and the influence of wealthy donors on prosecutors and elections.
To learn more about Eric Granof, visit www.aiasur...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Lewis Garrison, who is Director of Bail at the Oklahoma Insurance Department.
Shane interviews Lewis Garrison, the director of bail for the Oklahoma Insurance Department, to discuss the regulation and operations of the bail bond industry in Oklahoma. They cover topics such as licensing requirements, complaint processes, industry challenges, and recent legislative efforts.
To l...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Larry Newman, a Missouri bail bondsman.
Larry Newman is the President of the Missouri Alliance of Professional Bail Bond Agents (MAP-BBA) and a long-time bail bondsman in Missouri. He was selected as the 2023 Bail Agent of the Year by the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS). He and Shane discuss Missouri Supreme Court Rule 33.01, which outlines the law surrounding Mi...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Nicole Martinez, Colorado bail bondsmen and President of the Colorado Association of Professional Sureties.
Ms. Martinez's company, 5280 Bail Bonds, was just named as the Best Bail Bond Company in the 2025 Best of Mile High award program. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, she is the President of the Colorado Association of Professional Sureties (CAPS) and she is working har...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Tad Nelson, criminal defense attorney and lawyer scientist as they discuss the intricacies of handling defendants.
Nelson uses cutting-edge forensic science to crack the toughest cases and deliver justice.
As a board-certified criminal defense attorney and American Chemical Society-Certified Lawyer Scientist, he spent more than 30 years blending cutting-edge forensic science with re...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Captain Jose "Pepi" Granado (Retired), homicide detective and author.
Granado is a 35-year veteran of law enforcement, much of which was spent as a homicide detective. During that time, he navigated, assisted or supervised almost 800 death investigations. He has acted as a consultant on the hit A&E television show The First as well as “The Interrogation Tapes” on ABC’s 20...
Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Jeff Barton, who a bail bondsman and bail enforcement agent in Missouri.
Shane and Jeff discuss one of the biggest recent bounty hunter cases that has been brought in Federal Court. The case, United States v Wayne Lozier, involves a bounty hunter who was convicted of Federal kidnapping charges for apprehending a fugitive. Mr. Lozier failed to follow certain local state laws relating to bounty ...
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