Preying financially on the weakest (Corinth: violent crime, loans, homes)

[Clarallel]

Apparently, frighteningly common.

In many parts of America, like Corinth, Mississippi, judges are locking up defendants who can’t pay
By Matthew Shaer

Corinth occupies an important place in Mississippi history. During the Civil War, the South lost two bloody battles trying to defend the rail lines that bisected the city, which Confederate leaders regarded as second only to Richmond, their capital, in terms of strategic importance. Today the rails remain, as do the battlefield and a handful of grand antebellum homes, but driving around the area, you get a sense that the place has been hollowed out...

The callers were diverse in terms of age and race. They were black and white; they were young and old. But they shared with Kenneth Lindsey a precipitous relationship to rock-bottom poverty. If not completely destitute, they were close — a part-time job away from homelessness, a food-stamp card away from going hungry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/m...poor-jail.html

[viverlibre]

Concur this is a problem, about 20 years ago the Clarion-Ledger ran several articles outlining how Hinds County was essentially running a debtors prison incarcerating people who passed (what I consider to be small monetary amounts of) bad checks. If the debtor didn't make good on the check in a certain time period, he/she could be locked up (which I don't understand, how can you pay it from jail?). The procedure to get someone locked up was not very robust, all the retailer had to do was file charges, the accused didn't have many rights or the benefit of doubt.

The young lady in the story probably was drunk or high (who goes inside a library and passes out?), but just run her off, don't waste my tax dollars incarnating her for such a minor, nonviolent crime.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by Clarallel

Apparently, frighteningly common.

In many parts of America, like Corinth, Mississippi, judges are locking up defendants who can’t pay
By Matthew Shaer

Corinth occupies an important place in Mississippi history. During the Civil War, the South lost two bloody battles trying to defend the rail lines that bisected the city, which Confederate leaders regarded as second only to Richmond, their capital, in terms of strategic importance. Today the rails remain, as do the battlefield and a handful of grand antebellum homes, but driving around the area, you get a sense that the place has been hollowed out...

The callers were diverse in terms of age and race. They were black and white; they were young and old. But they shared with Kenneth Lindsey a precipitous relationship to rock-bottom poverty. If not completely destitute, they were close — a part-time job away from homelessness, a food-stamp card away from going hungry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/m...poor-jail.html

It's a tragedy. Been going on forever, though. "Hollowed out" is a good way to describe Corinth.


Within the article there was this: ......She could take steps toward regaining custody of her son from her boyfriend’s mother. “I needed to support myself,” she told me recently.
Boyfriend's mother has the son. Probably meant to say "ex-boyfriend" since she couldn't ask him for money. All-in-all I don't know what the point of the article was. It was chock full of, "I didn't think"... and "they said"... and so forth. People who don't pay traffic fines and parking tickets may have to spend time in jail. Failure to pay child support will put you in the pokey, too - even if you cannot pay.
This lady has about zero chance in life. Too many bad decisions over too long a period.

[Dd714]

But this isn't a MS problem exclusively. The example was here but could be just about anywhere. But let's back up a bit - Clarallel you did nothing to discuss the problem except provide a link and a quote from the article that did nothing to explain what the issue was. Wouldn't it be better to offer your viewpoint? Instead of taking the lazy way out and resorting to cut and paste -
Challenge us for a solution!
Challenge us with your solutions!
CHALLENGE US!

OK back to the issue which is part prison bail reform, part just the plight of the poor. I am not prepared to discuss the second issue (which is somewhat like solving world peace) but the first - bail reform. The constitution mandates that bails be fair considering the crime, and there have been bail reform measures passed before. But it considers the crime, not the accused ability to pay. Indeed any bail impacts the poorest. A few states no longer require cash bails for non-capital crime per state laws. Alaska has this - but it may be that they take under consideration the difficulty of crossing state lines in this isolated state. Is that the solution perhaps? Myabe so, so I will present a debate that the OP failed to do -
-should the state of MS eliminate cash bails for non-capital crime?

[amiewarren]

Here in FL, they were jailing people who owed on loans during the recession as being guilty of "contract fraud." Most of them had lost their jobs in the recession, or something else recession-related. I can't remember what happened to the case that was appealed, but fraud is a very serious charge that can mess up our life forever.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Dd714

But this isn't a MS problem exclusively. The example was here but could be just about anywhere. But let's back up a bit - Clarallel you did nothing to discuss the problem except provide a link and a quote from the article that did nothing to explain what the issue was. Wouldn't it be better to offer your viewpoint? Instead of taking the lazy way out and resorting to cut and paste -
Challenge us for a solution!
Challenge us with your solutions!
CHALLENGE US!

OK back to the issue which is part prison bail reform, part just the plight of the poor. I am not prepared to discuss the second issue (which is somewhat like solving world peace) but the first - bail reform. The constitution mandates that bails be fair considering the crime, and there have been bail reform measures passed before. But it considers the crime, not the accused ability to pay. Indeed any bail impacts the poorest. A few states no longer require cash bails for non-capital crime per state laws. Alaska has this - but it may be that they take under consideration the difficulty of crossing state lines in this isolated state. Is that the solution perhaps? Myabe so, so I will present a debate that the OP failed to do -
-should the state of MS eliminate cash bails for non-capital crime?

I suspect if the article had named NY as the state where this was taking place, no one would have even read it.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I didn't think they could put people in jail for debt. I think this country must be closer to becoming a fascist country than originally thought. Although I suppose we should have seen it coming when we so very enthusiastically elected a corporate businessmen to be President of the United States, and now we have other corporate businessmen, such as the CEO at Starbucks, looking potentially to become a candidate for the office of President.

I can see how these businessmen would love to go back to the days of debtors prisons.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I didn't think they could put people in jail for debt. I think this country must be closer to becoming a fascist country than originally thought. Although I suppose we should have seen it coming when we so very enthusiastically elected a corporate businessmen to be President of the United States, and now we have other corporate businessmen, such as the CEO at Starbucks, looking potentially to become a candidate for the office of President.

I can see how these businessmen would love to go back to the days of debtors prisons.

And yet, eight years of "Hope and Change" didn't fix this problem.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I didn't think they could put people in jail for debt. I think this country must be closer to becoming a fascist country than originally thought. Although I suppose we should have seen it coming when we so very enthusiastically elected a corporate businessmen to be President of the United States, and now we have other corporate businessmen, such as the CEO at Starbucks, looking potentially to become a candidate for the office of President.

I can see how these businessmen would love to go back to the days of debtors prisons.

Hate to spring this on you, but this has been occurring as long as I can remember (I'm in my fifties). It has nothing to do with current politics, in fact, it's probably less prevalent now than 25 years ago.

[jhadorn]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I didn't think they could put people in jail for debt. I think this country must be closer to becoming a fascist country than originally thought. Although I suppose we should have seen it coming when we so very enthusiastically elected a corporate businessmen to be President of the United States, and now we have other corporate businessmen, such as the CEO at Starbucks, looking potentially to become a candidate for the office of President.

I can see how these businessmen would love to go back to the days of debtors prisons.

Are you saying that Trump is to blame for putting people in jail for debt? Or are you saying that Trump is the byproduct of a society that puts people in jail for debt?

Truth be known, and you can deny it if you want, but Trump is all that's between this country becoming fascist and overrun by illegals, which will seriously degrade your quality of life. Democrats would love to bring in millions of illegals, then grant them citizenship so they have a large voter base in states that were previously red, effectively turning them blue. Once that happens expect guns to be taken away, then freedom of speech, etc.

Better stop it now.

There is nothing wrong with people coming here legally, but when you open the borders and let anyone and everyone in you are introducing disease, drugs, criminals, and some who just want a free ride. It isn't a sustainable system. You need documented citizens contributing to the tax base, and NOT illegals that are here for the wrong reasons being granted citizenship either. Their allegiance will lie with the group that got them over here and gave them a free ride.