Marginal Revolution's Alex Tabarrok has a piece on the bounty-hunting industry in the latest Wilson Quarterly. As part of his research, he accompanies a bounty hunter on his rounds in Baltimore.

Nevertheless, I was apprehensive as I drove to Baltimore early one morning to try my hand at bounty hunting.

When Dennis and I meet, he hands me a photo showing our first fugitive of the day. I’ll be honest. I was expecting to see a young African-American male. What can I say? It’s Baltimore and I’ve seen every episode of The Wire. But I’m surprised. Taken a few years ago in better times, the picture shows an attractive young woman, perhaps at her prom. She has long blond hair and bright eyes. She is smiling.