Making Money Off the Poor | Sojourners

Making Money Off the Poor

Barbara Ehrenreich invetigates the growing practice of businesses and government making money off of the poorest in society:

It’s not just the private sector that’s preying on the poor. Local governments are discovering that they can partially make up for declining tax revenues through fines, fees, and other costs imposed on indigent defendants, often for crimes no more dastardly than driving with a suspended license. And if that seems like an inefficient way to make money, given the high cost of locking people up, a growing number of jurisdictions have taken to charging defendants for their court costs and even the price of occupying a jail cell.

Read her full article here