End Debtor's Prisons- Harold

Harold, a veteran on SSI, talks about his experience dealing with court fines.

It is time to end incarceration for court debt. Support Senate Bill 2234

Produced by the Rhode Island Family Life Center
www.ri-familylifecenter.org

End Debtor's Prisons: Court Debt and Incarceration in Rhode Island- Senate Bill 2234

When sentenced with a misdemeanor or felony, Rhode Islanders are charged fines and fees that can add up to thousands of dollars. These court costs are higher in Rhode Island than other New England states, and a single offense can cost someone almost $1,000. Many people have trouble paying these fines on schedule, and accumulate a significant amount of court debt. Unlike other forms of debt, which never result in jail-sentences, missing one payment date for court debt results in an additional $150 fee and several days or weeks in jail.

Court debt is the most common reason people in RI are put in jail. It produces 17% of all jailings, and almost 2,500 incidents a year. While some degree of punishment may be necessary for people that refuse to pay the court even if they can, many people are incarcerated far more than is necessary. They either legitimately cannot pay their debt or could have been induced to pay through cheaper methods. Many are homeless, unemployed, or receiving income assistance. Frequent incarcerations related to court debt make it even more difficult for these individuals to obtain jobs and establish a stable life in the community.

Jailing people for court debt also costs the state a significant amount of money. One third of those jailed sit in jail for over three days and 11% spend more than a week. In 15% of the cases, the state spends more on jail time than it is owed. Total costs to the state are about $500,000 per year for the incarceration of defendants.

Senate Bill 2234 would allow judges to waive costs for poor people and would limit the amount of time they can be jailed for court debt. For more information on court debt, see the full report available at http://www.riflc.org/pagetool/reports...

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• court debt
• court fines
• debtor's prisons
• RI Family Life Center
• prisons
• RI politics
• Rhode Island
• Senate Bill 2234