Discussion about this post

User's avatar
T Lane's avatar

Mr. Karakatsanis, I appreciate your continued advocacy on the subject of the inequities within the bail system and how the media is manipulated (and manipulates). Whether it is $500 or $5,000 or any amount, we continue to see how working people and the poor face greater costs in all our society's institutions than those who have more resources at their disposal. The day after your appearance on "The Daily Show," I read your book "Usual Cruelty" in one sitting the next day. Thank you for a well-written, candid look at how we cage people in this country.

Another facet we don't hear about much is that while people are losing their jobs, losing their families, and losing their homes awaiting trial in county jails - about one-third of the county jails in the United States charge daily room and board fees. This can be as little as $1 per day up to over $100, depending upon the county. If a person pleads guilty or are convicted in Iowa (for example), they are required to pay and "failure to do so may result in the Sheriff filing a Claim for Reimbursement with the Court. The Court will approve the claim without hearing, and once approved the claim will have the effect of a judgment for the purpose of enforcement." This may also be considered a violation of probation/parole - in many jurisdictions, it is up to the discretion of the supervising officer. And, of course, the excuse is that if a person does the crime, they should be the one to pay for their jail time. Moving this cost to those least able to afford and to a smaller population pool, this reduces the public citizenry's realization of the actual costs of caging people simply because the system can while increasing greater pressure to return to old habits in order to pay their feels from those attempting to move forward with their lives.

Expand full comment
Judith Alexander's avatar

Hello Alec, I learn so much from reading your articles. You must feel frustration at times but your work and that of the Civil Rights Corp. shines through. Your deep respect for individuals and their basic rights is so evident in everything you write. Thank you.

Expand full comment
5 more comments...

No posts