20 Reasons It Really Sucks To Be Poor Right Now

Under the 14th Amendment, a person cannot be imprisoned simply because they are unable to pay fines and fees, so why are there so many people in prison on precisely that charge?

“Many poor people with misdemeanor charges end up before a judge without legal representation and do not understand their rights,” says Karen Dolan, co-author of The Poor Get Prison. “Without legal representation, poor people often don’t understand that they ought not to be offered ‘jail or probation’ simply for debt, and they choose probation.”