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Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

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Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#21

Post by [deleted] »

SamReidHughes wrote: post #20
Nextgrid wrote: post #7

The more I read about "justice" in the US the more I realise how fucked up and perverted the concept of justice is in that country. We're always quick to criticise other countries for the failings or bad design of their justice system and lack of respect for human rights, but are we much better? We might be better on paper, but is that actually reflected in reality? I'm not so sure.

If you get convicted for embezzlement , as in the first example in the article, and don't pay your fines and restitution, what do you think the courts should do?

[deleted]

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#22

Post by JimmyAustin »

SamReidHughes wrote: post #20
Nextgrid wrote: post #7

The more I read about "justice" in the US the more I realise how fucked up and perverted the concept of justice is in that country. We're always quick to criticise other countries for the failings or bad design of their justice system and lack of respect for human rights, but are we much better? We might be better on paper, but is that actually reflected in reality? I'm not so sure.

If you get convicted for embezzlement , as in the first example in the article, and don't pay your fines and restitution, what do you think the courts should do?

Wage garnishment?

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#23

Post by ecoled_ame »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #12
ecoled_ame wrote: post #10

Strange that she decided to have three kids when she could barely even manage her finances.

Who said she decided? She may have just perceived it as one of those things that happens.

People think pregnancy just .. happens?

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#24

Post by BubRoss »

catalogia wrote: post #17
teachrdan wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People in other states who are imprisoned for inability to pay child support, etc. are released at the end of a finite sentence; they are not held indefinitely until they pay off an ever-increasing debt to the state at a low wage job. That's what defines debtors prisons.

One is certainly more severe than the other, but in either case if people are getting imprisoned over debts, it seems like a pretty shitty situation. Do you disagree?

That's not what this article is about. It's about "How the state’s “restitution program” forces poor people to work off small debts."

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#25

Post by dfsgioninio »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #19
Retric wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only if you consider having the highest percentage of population in incarcerated as winning. United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world's population, it houses around 22 percent of the world's prisoners. So yay go USA!

In that regard sure we arent the best. But there are far worse countries.

The U.S. has the single highest incarceration rate in the world. In that respect, we have the worst criminal justice system in the world. Other metrics matter, of course, but let's not kid ourselves: the American system is an unmitigated disaster.

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#26

Post by alphabettsy »

motohagiography wrote: post #8

The scandal is the mainstream press hasn't raised this and related problems in the justice system. They really only have one job, and no amount of "concern" for political issues is sufficient to compensate for the shameful oversight of issues like this. I'd argue any writer with a Pulitzer should hand it back until they have personally effected change in justice and prison reform. I'm angry that the system works this…

As with many other issues in the US, there’s a connection to wealth and race. Civil rights organizations have been talking about this for years with their pleas mostly falling on deaf ears. Some major media started covering it after looking into some of the larger reasons behind the protests in Ferguson, MO. There have been quite a few advocates in the “far-left” political spectrum like Bernie Sanders and some places have ended cash bail.

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sande...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/nyregion/kalief-browder-c...

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/28/642795284/california-becomes-...

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/02/644085158/what-changed-after-...

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jailed-f...

Similar to our newly found compassion for people struggling with drug addiction, this won’t be solved until we stop viewing those affected as “others”.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-you-could-go-to-debtors-pri...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-debtors-prison-make-a-com...

https://www.propublica.org/article/a-lawsuit-over-ferguson-d...

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/Ferguson-sued-modern-day-debtors-...

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/debtors...

https://www.npr.org/2014/05/21/313118629/supreme-court-rulin... - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/as-economy-flails-debtors-priso... - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/magazine/cities-fine-poor...

It’s not true that’s it’s not been talked about, or even that it’s not covered by mainstream media. Many people are not paying attention and some mainstream media are actively against criminal justice reform.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-criminal-just...

It’s a political issue and a human rights issue, but politics is often reduced to sound bites with few taking the effort to really understand an issue and support those working to change it.

There are also unsurprising contradictions. The Trump administration signed legislation that addresses sentencing disparities in the war on drugs while simultaneously resuming federal death penalty executions even while its been widely reported that possibly more than 1 in 10 of those of death row are innocent.

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#27

Post by BubRoss »

ecoled_ame wrote: post #23
thaumasiotes wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who said she decided? She may have just perceived it as one of those things that happens.

People think pregnancy just .. happens?

That's how the majority of humanity has come into existence.

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#29

Post by Zircom »

ecoled_ame wrote: post #23
thaumasiotes wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who said she decided? She may have just perceived it as one of those things that happens.

People think pregnancy just .. happens?

I don't think they believe it "just happens", but they accept it/believe it's a natural and inevitable part of life and take it in stride if and when it happens.

Re: Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi

#30

Post by dpau »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #19
Retric wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only if you consider having the highest percentage of population in incarcerated as winning. United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world's population, it houses around 22 percent of the world's prisoners. So yay go USA!

In that regard sure we arent the best. But there are far worse countries.

I find it sad to see this type of argument, increasingly it seems our only justification for the decline of the US is, "At least we're not as bad as X." As in, "Sure companies and the gov sell all our data, but at least we're not like China!". Feels like we've given up even trying to live up to our liberal Western ideals...
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