Very weird that I am so old and have literally never heard this mentioned in a TV show or book or movie or anything.
In four out of five states, if you go to prison, you are literally paying for the time you spend there.
As you can guess, this results in crippling debt as soon as you’re released.
The county gets back a fraction of what they hold over your head the rest of your life until you commit suicide(or die naturally and peacefully with the sword of damocles hanging over your head).
$20-$80 a day according to Rutgers.
Counties apparently sue people and employ wage garnishment to get back the money that majority of people obviously cannot pay back.
https://www.rutgers.edu/news/states-unfairly-burdening-incarcerated-people-pay-stay-fees
Unfortunately the government has been very busy snatching up essential liberties and writing bullshit laws, and it’s almost impossible to keep up with the protests and lawsuits. The politicians get paid to be there, and can spend all of their time on legislation. Once they pass something, boom, it’s in effect. Then it costs organizations and citizens tons of time and money to protest and appeal what was so easily done by the legislators.
Fortunately, there are a lot of people who don’t give up because stuff gets hard.
True, but we’re losing ground.
And gaining ground in other areas.
It’s the long and arduous process of fighting for and maintaining civil rights, nobody is going to snap their fingers and make everything better.