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the U.S.A. does not have debtors' prison While true in theory, this may not be true in practice. There are several loopholes, one main one being that failure
by nkurz 11y ago
the U.S.A. does not have debtors' prison
While true in theory, this may not be true in practice. There are several loopholes, one main one being that failure to pay fees and penalties assessed by the justice system itself can be a criminal offense. In some states a significant percentage (as high as 20%) of current prisoners are being held for failing to pay these LFO's (Legal Financial Obligations).
Here are a couple ACLU reports about the practice:
In for a Penny:
The Rise of America’s New Debtors’ Prisons
https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/InForAPenny_web.pdf https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/InForAPenny_web.pdf
Modern Day Debtors Prisons:
The Ways Court-Imposed Debts Punish
People for Being Poor
https://aclu-wa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Modern%20Day%20Debtor's%20Prison%20Final%20(3).pdf https://aclu-wa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Modern%2...
- pc86 11y ago> failure to pay fees and penalties assessed by the justice system itself can be a criminal offense Which doesn't have much of anything to do with the real estate market, right?
- nkurz 11y agoCorrect. I hoped from context that it was clear that I was responding only to the line that I quoted (which said that the US "does not have debtors' prison") and not to the main thrust of the argument.