Thousands of Americans have ended up in jail over debts as small as $28 according to a new report published by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The practice is in violation of many US state and federal laws, which prohibits the jailing of debtors.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Around 77 million people have debts that have been transferred to and chased up by private collection agencies.
RT reports: In one case cited in the report, a disabled woman who wears a prosthetic leg was shackled by her waist and feet by two armed US marshals before being put in jail overnight.
“They had a warrant for my arrest and I asked them for what, he didn’t say what it was for. He said, ‘He’ll tell you later,’” said Tracie Mozie of Dickinson, Texas.
Law enforcement officials had entered Mozie’s bedroom to arrest her over a $1,500 federal student loan she took out in 1986 to pay for truck-driving school. The loan had mushroomed to $13,000 with interest and fees. Monzie was unable to pay because she is unemployed and lives on disability benefits.
The ACLU examined more than 1,000 cases in which civil court judges issued arrest warrants for debtors. In some instances the amounts were as small as $28. Letters were sent over bounced checks as low as $2, the ACLU found.
The report is the first ever to analyze the cooperation between courts and the private debt collection industry across the US, according to the ACLU. Private debt collectors use the criminal justice system to try to compel repayments, even when the debts are disputed or when the debtor cannot repay. More than 6,000 debt collection firms operate in the United States, collecting billions of dollars each year.
Following their arrest, debtors may remain in jail for several days until they can pay the bail. In some cases, the ACLU found some people were locked up for as long as two weeks.
This practice violates the many state and federal laws as well as international human rights standards that prohibit the jailing of debtors.
The report finds that the long-term consequences of arrests for both courts and people can be profound and scarring. Arrest warrants can be entered into background check databases which mean they can jeopardize future employment, housing applications, education, and access to security clearances.
In one case in Maryland, an elderly couple were jailed because they did not appear at a district court hearing for which they had never been served notice. Isaac, 83, and his wife Doris owed $2,342.76 to their homeowners’ association and $450 in attorney’s fees. They had never been served with notice of the hearing, which had itself been scheduled because they failed to appear at a post-judgment proceeding for which they also had never been served. While in detention, Isaac began vomiting blood and became non-responsive, according to the report.
While debtors’ prisons were outlawed by Congress almost two hundred years ago, in reality the practice seems to live on.
Niamh Harris
Latest posts by Niamh Harris (see all)
- CDC Health Alert Warns About Deadly, Fast-Spreading Monkeypox Variant - December 10, 2023
- UK Health Chiefs Warn Covid Could Ruin Christmas For Millions Without A Booster Jab - December 9, 2023
- Ukraine Is In ‘Mortal Danger’ Without More Foreign Aid Says Olena Zelenska - December 9, 2023
Privatised prison is a huge global Industry with massive plans for expansion Its Bout finding excuseszto lack up any people who could became a bit of a bother,one way or another.Its a crime where opportunistic timing can be easily facilitated and created via power corporations ,telcos or bankers.All in it togetherand with them fully aware of each individual persons asserts and liabilities and capacity to payv,you see .Like taking candy from a baby. The American dream motto ,there’s a sucker born every second.
Yet the govt that has trillions isn’t in prison?
I wouldn’t spit on google if it were on fire.
Land Of The Free, Home Of The Brave International Bully Psychopathic Debt Parasites doing the bidding of the Private Investment Cartels of Banking and Finance?
that’s what haliburton do….. very clever way of milking the amewhorican taxpayer of a few more bucks… hey amewhoprica asked for this