States Force Prisoners to Pay for Stay

#77
#77
Rickyvol77 said:
Again are you ok with your taxpayer money going to OJ Simpson or Donald Trump to pay for an expensive lawyer? How about a Dylan Roof or Timothy McVeigh?
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Yes. I'm fine with my taxpayer money going to defend anyone on trial. Remember all I said is that the defense get's the same amount of money as the prosecution.

Why should an innocent person be financially ruined defending themselves?
 
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#78
#78
Rickyvol77 said:
but again why should taxpayers pay for expensive criminal defense for a terrorist or rapist or murderer? It’s a ridiculous notion
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Because that is how our legal system works. You believe you are innocent but are broke.....guess you just go to jail.
 
#79
#79
lawgator1 said:
In my work representing Florida Sheriffs I am very familiar with how this really works. The statute allows a county for example to recover $50 per day of an offender's sentence. The statute also allows the Sheriff to assert the right to recover the fee as a counterclaim for a civil claim by the inmate.

For example, we have inmates suing over slip and falls in the jail. We counterclaim for costs of incarceration to offset it. I can tell you a lot of them are not very bright. These common areas of cells are on video. We've had a couple obviously set up the slip and falls and it's pretty obvious. Have one now where two inmates are at a table and one gets up and walks away, then with this exaggerated action "slips and falls." His accomplice then casually spilled water in the area.

Not saying they are all like that, but you have to realize that a substantial majority of the people in jail are, in fact, criminals and willing to take advantage and lie whenever they can make a buck.

I have no problem asserting counterclaim against them.

I've also never in 25 years, heard of a Sheriff actually collecting a cent of it, by targeting those who can pay or otherwise.

Many things to complain about with criminal justice system. I agree on drug offenses for example. This ain't one of them.
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They never collect, but they can use it a reason to not to restore the civil liberties.
 
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#80
#80
NEO said:
I am confused….

We all want to cut spending but when a criminal is placed in jail and has the means via work to make money and the jail charges him for the living cost and food this is wrong?

Stop sending low level none violent criminals to jail but if you are a murderer in jail for life why must we as a society bear that living cost?
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It's one step away from debtor prisons. The state wants him in jail, the state pays for it. It's not a vacation at the Motel 8 you sign up for.
 
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#82
#82
LouderVol said:
It's one step away from debtor prisons. The state wants him in jail, the state pays for it. It's not a vacation at the Motel 8 you sign up for.
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I can see that stance.

I just think we as a society should not be bearing that burden.

But I also believe we shouldn’t be incarcerating anyone who isn’t violent.

There needs to be a much better way to deal with non violent issues and white collar crime.
 
#83
#83
lawgator1 said:
If the person commits a crime and the lawful sentence is time in jail, why should the rest of us pay for their upkeep in that time? Why is it not okay to have them pay for their own expense of living ?
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What do you do if they cant afford it? Keep them longer?

What do you do if thet refuse to pay? It's becoming straight up debtors prisons.

Most states got rid of chain gangs because we determined that was wrong.

And this literally creates an environment where the only way they have to make a living is in jail? The only time they have a means of self support is in jail? That is jacked up, and creates a trap. This jacks up recidivism to 13, and oh yeah the government profits from it. we should not be incentivizing the government to lock up its citizens.

The government should be doing everything possible to keep people out of jail
 
#85
#85
LouderVol said:
Fighting the Fees that Force Prisoners to Pay for Their Incarceration | Prison Legal News

This was posted in another thread, but I think it deserves it's own.

43 states charge inmates for time served. I have literally never heard of this, and this is wrong on so many levels.

Forget all the dumb laws we have the government makes too much money to let this go.

"Florida is one of five states where prisoners receive no money for their work, forcing families to cough up money for food and necessities. Florida is also one of 43 states that charge prisoners for their so-called “stay” behind bars, according to the Brennan Center for Justice"

Florida, Michigan (60 bucks a day), Maine (80 bucks a day), California has a tiered system, Illinois, Massacheusetts (80 bucks a day), Virginia, ohio 66 bucks a day,

"Eisen wrote that by 2004 an estimated one-third of county jails and 50 percent of prisons in the United States charged daily housing fees"

Even ignoring the racial arguments this is wrong.

"The average cost of a stay in jail, whether for a day or for a year, was $1,756. The most expensive stay was $72,050, according to The Marshall Project’s analysis of jail records."

Seems like this includes both jail, temporary/before sentencing, and prison after sentencing. YOU ARE CHARGED WHETHER YOU ARE FOUND GUILTY OR NOT.

Illinois selectively applying their law to go after those with assets. " Prison officials seemed to go after people who could pay and identified targets through financial disclosure forms, mail, bank or brokerage statements. All prisoners sued by the Department of Corrections since 2010 had at least $10,000 in assets. In other words, the Department of Corrections was targeting the prisoners to pay for mass incarceration."

But they have stopped, even though the law still exists.

Here is an interactive map showing what each state does.
50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool | Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.

This is wrong. I strongly urge everyone to review what their state does and reach out to their law makers.
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I didn't even know this kind of thing was happening.

I could see this occurring in the 18th century or in some 3rd world craphole but not in a 1st world modern country. This kind of backwards nonsense absolutely needs to end. Also, this has to be a violation of the constitution.

Thank you for sharing this.
 
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#88
#88
If I'm paying my own way through prison, I want the ability to order whatever meal I want and have Uber deliver it.
 
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#93
#93
NEO said:
I can see that stance.

I just think we as a society should not be bearing that burden.

But I also believe we shouldn’t be incarcerating anyone who isn’t violent.

There needs to be a much better way to deal with non violent issues and white collar crime.
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We the society set the standard, police the standard, judge and sentence based on the standard, but we shouldnt pay for the results of said standard?

As long as the government sets the stay they shouldnt not be able to charge for the stay. That's some shady junk going on.
 
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#94
#94
volfanhill said:
No one said that. Equal expenditures on both sides.
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Ok so a sitting president gets impeached for an obvious crime i.e. Nixon, the feds spend $20 million taxpayer money for the trial, the defense attorneys also get $20 mill in taxpayer money?

Michael Vick, OJ, Trump, Clinton, Ray Lewis, Snoop Dogg anyone should just get free taxpayer covered defense attorneys and expenses? Which by the way are a lot more than any DA spends on a case

How about someone who is arrested for a drive by shooting for the 4th time? Same cost every time or just that case?
 
#95
#95
VolStrom said:
Why not, the DA gets to have the FBI and/or the TBI investigate, do you think the average person can afford their technology? This system is so stacked against the defendant and for the prosecution, it's unreal.
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So now the defense needs to have paid experts too and resources of the FBI for free? Lol
 
#96
#96
Rickyvol77 said:
Ok so a sitting president gets impeached for an obvious crime i.e. Nixon, the feds spend $20 million taxpayer money for the trial, the defense attorneys also get $20 mill in taxpayer money?

Michael Vick, OJ, Trump, Clinton, Ray Lewis, Snoop Dogg anyone should just get free taxpayer covered defense attorneys and expenses? Which by the way are a lot more than any DA spends on a case

How about someone who is arrested for a drive by shooting for the 4th time? Same cost every time or just that case?
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The state should never have the upper hand. If they have to spend less to keep things equitable then so be it.
 
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#98
#98
Rickyvol77 said:
So now the defense needs to have paid experts too and resources of the FBI for free? Lol
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I didn't say the resources of the FBI, I said equal technology. Someday maybe someone you know will get charged with a crime and the government unloads their resources against them, trust me you better have a bunch of money to make it painful for the government.
 
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#99
#99
Rickyvol77 said:
It’s a right to get the most expensive criminal attorney in the state or country?
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Where did you say the most expensive? I would say the public defenders need to come from the batch considered for AG/DA. You want to serve your government as the prosecution you start with time as a public defendant.
 
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#100
#100
Rickyvol77 said:
Ok so a sitting president gets impeached for an obvious crime i.e. Nixon, the feds spend $20 million taxpayer money for the trial, the defense attorneys also get $20 mill in taxpayer money?

Michael Vick, OJ, Trump, Clinton, Ray Lewis, Snoop Dogg anyone should just get free taxpayer covered defense attorneys and expenses? Which by the way are a lot more than any DA spends on a case

How about someone who is arrested for a drive by shooting for the 4th time? Same cost every time or just that case?
Click to expand...

What if your uncle had tits would he be your aunt?
 
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