Prison debt is crushing Black women, advocates say

Nearly all states allowing jails and prisons to charge incarcerated people for room and board or medical care highlights a deeper problem: their families, especially Black women, are forced to cover the costs, according to a new report.Why it matters: Black people account for about 37% of the local jail and state prison population, according to Prison Policy Initiative, and the debt caused by the incarceration fees may be pushing women of color deeper into poverty.The big picture: When incarcerated individuals can't pay — and most can't — the debt is passed to a loved one or follows them after release. In some states, advocates say that debt collectors or probation officers send letters demanding full repayment within 30 days.And taxpayers can wind up footing the bill for costly legal pursuits that don't result in payments.By the numbers: Data collected by the advocacy group Campaign Zero, reviewed by Axios earlier this month, shows:As of December 2024, 48 states allow at least one "pay-to-stay" fee. 42 states and D.C. permit room and board charges for incarcerated adults.43 states permit medical fees for incarcerated adults.Zoom in: Fees are automatically pulled from prison accounts or wages. But most incarcerated people earn less than $1/day, according to data from the Prison Policy Initiative, so balances grow — and carry into life after release.Because many incarcerated people can't fully pay fees while in prison, the costs often pile up as debt they're still expected to repay after their release, Campaign Zero executive director DeRay Mckesson told Axios.Zoom out: Research compiled by the advocacy group Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC) shows that women — especially Black women — are disproportionately harmed by these policies.83% of those paying fines, fees, and bail for incarcerated people are women, according to a national survey.Women's wages drop more post-conviction than men's — $75/year vs. $26.Black mothers are three times more likely than white mothers to be their family's sole provider.What they're saying: "We were the first to put this issue on the map — people were talking about mass incarceration, but no one was talking about families having their college funds and inheritances seized," said Brittany Friedman, a USC sociologist who leads the Captive Money Lab and was a consultant on the Campaign Zero project.Friedman said her team analyzed hundreds of civil lawsuits and found a "repeat pattern" of states seizing jointly held assets — including college savings and shared inheritances — if an incarcerated person's name was on the account."In most cases, it drains the account completely," she said, noting the court will seize any account with the incarcerated person's name on it — even if it's a college fund or a shared inheritance.Context: Many pay-to-stay laws date back to the 1970s, as states such as Michigan and California sought to shift the costs of incarceration off public budgets.The trend grew in the 1980s, after federal funding cuts under President Reagan, as states began charging incarcerated people for court-appointed counsel, supervision, meals and phone calls.Instead of taxing the public, lawmakers began extracting money from the people being policed and prosecuted, in the form of fees for public defenders, probation supervision, phone calls, and even meals."They weren't designed to promote safety or rehabilitation," said Nick Shepack, Nevada director for the FFJC. "They were designed to cut budgets — and they still are."Yes, but: Some states argue that these fees help cover the costs of victim restitution or public services. But many are imposed even in victimless cases like drug possession.Friedman said in Illinois, her team found the policy often cost more to enforce than it brought in — due to labor-intensive forensic accounting, lawsuits and appeals.The intrigue: Several states are moving to roll back these fees.Oklahoma recently passed a sweeping bill eliminating many fees.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore waived $13 million in unpaid probation fees earlier this year.Nevada capped the amount that prisons can garnish from family deposits and ended post-release collections of medical debt.What we're watching: A forthcoming FFJC report, Imposing Instability, will argue that most of this debt is never collected — and that collection costs often exceed any financial gain.

Comments

World news

Suspect arrested after ‘random’ stabbing attack injures 11 at Walmart in Michigan

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Landlord who stabbed Palestinian American boy to death dies in prison

Men freed from El Salvador mega-prison endured ‘state-sanctioned torture’, lawyers say

Two wounded in Greece after explosion at home of prison guard official

A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home and wounds two

Disgraced former Republican Rep. George Santos reports to prison to begin seven-year sentence

Police recapture convicted murderer who escaped Quebec prison

Convicted murderer who escaped prison north of Montreal captured by police

George Santos enters prison to serve 7-year fraud sentence

Venezuelans deported to El Salvador describe ‘horror movie’ mega-prison

More than $100K in drugs, other contraband seized at Stony Mountain prison

Brit mum arrested in Mauritius with son, 6, is being held in hellhole prison

Bryan Kohberger moved to infamous Idaho prison where inmates have complained of feces covered walls

'Hell on earth.' A Venezuelan deportee describes abuse in El Salvador prison

Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell meets with U.S. DOJ official in prison

Convicted Murderer Freed by Trump in Venezuelan Prisoner Swap Is Free in U.S.

Migrant deported to notorious El Salvador prison demands $1.3M from Trump administration after savage beatings, vile conditions and 24-hour confinement

Photo Shows Murderer Returning to U.S. in Trump Prisoner Swap With Venezuela

Top DOJ official to meet today with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell inside a Florida federal prison

Filth, rats and fear of reprisals: Life inside Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison

Brits accused of smuggling cocaine in Angel Delight packets are spared the death penalty as Bali court reveals prison sentence

World news

Suspect arrested after ‘random’ stabbing attack injures 11 at Walmart in Michigan

'I still have hope': Mother of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fears he'll be one of last freed

Greece wildfires: Tourists and locals flee burning Athens - and islands including Crete

Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

Trump posts meme of himself and JD Vance chasing Obama in OJ’s white Bronco

French authorities investigate if Jewish passengers were removed from flight due to religion

Health authorities warn of potential maternity care reductions

U.S. Christian musician Sean Feucht show set for Alberta legislature grounds in Edmonton

After 37 years, a Jeep in a river solves the mystery of Quebec dad's disappearance

Tennessee district bans doctor’s notes to exempt kids from school to teach them good work ethic

The surprising move from company caught in Coldplay KissCam scandal

‘Protect pavement pints’: Reeves’ plan to revitalise the high street

Israel to implement humanitarian pause in Gaza after international pressure

Israel resumes airdrops into Gaza - as baby girl dies weighing less than when she was born

Amid Growing Fury Over Gaza, Israel Says It Is Easing Aid Restrictions

Moment Israeli army appears to intercept Gaza-bound aid ship Handala

Victim dies after falling 150 feet from rock formation in Colorado

New FEMA grants set to hand out $600M to states so they can build migrant detention facilities

‘Let them destroy each other’: Democrats planning Epstein-focused town halls in GOP districts

Marine veteran’s brain returned by funeral home in an unmarked and leaking box, lawsuit claims

100ml liquid limit set to be scrapped for flyers across Europe

The people of Gaza are starving and hopes for a temporary ceasefire dashed

'Scotland is already great.' Protesters troll Trump on his golfing trip

Israel's military says aid airdrops will begin in Gaza as hunger grows

What's at stake with the European Union-U.S. trading partnership if a tariff deal isn't reached

Taiwanese political gridlock endures as China-friendly party survives recall vote

Canada condemns Hong Kong for issuing warrants to arrest some Canadians

DOGE plans to use AI to identify 50% of 200,000 federal regulations that can be eliminated by Trump

Teen accused of killing boy, 14, in New Mexico college dorm as a group played playing video games

Florida man arrested after beating up fellow golfer for playing too slow: cops

England need to save Ben Stokes from himself and make a huge call

Prison debt is crushing Black women, advocates say

5 commercial tractor trucks stolen in early morning theft: Ontario police

Family-driven slugger Menard delivering at the plate for Saskatoon Berries

Wildfire sweeps northern Athens suburb, residents ordered to evacuate

Canadian wildfires prompt New York air quality alert

Israel to open Gaza humanitarian corridors as aid drops begin

Trump calls on Thailand and Cambodia to stop fighting

E.U. Cuts Aid to Ukraine Over Corruption Concerns

RFK Jr. looks to boot panel that decides which HIV and cancer screenings will be free: report

John Bolton slams Tulsi Gabbard over ‘treasonous’ Obama report: ‘She’s imagined evidence that doesn’t exist’

Company involved in Coldplay KissCam drama hires Gwyneth Paltrow as spokesperson

Dinosaur voice box fossil reveals what they sounded like 150,000,000 years ago

Man caught naked on patio by Google Street View awarded more than £9,000

If Trump pardons Maxwell, it shows just how weak he really is

Save our Stokes: England need to rest their captain next week

Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of 'lying' about starvation in Gaza

Scotland streets fill with protestors as Trump arrives to play golf

The latest child to starve to death in Gaza weighed less than when she was born

Sickening excuse of woman who kept husband's dismembered head in cement filled drum

Insurance giant says most US customer data stolen in cyber-attack

Bowen: Air dropping aid is an act of desperation that won't end hunger in Gaza

Astronomer hires Gwyneth Paltrow to help clean up after Coldplay kiss cam scandal

NOAA officials who led ‘Sharpiegate’ investigation placed on leave after clashing with Trump hires

Trump says he is pushing for ceasefire to end Thailand and Cambodia’s border conflict

Shelter worker is mauled to death by two dogs rescued from abuse and fighting ring

Ghislaine Maxwell could dodge congressional subpoena for her testimony in Epstein investigation, lawyer says