In New Orleans, as in many cities around the country, nearly every phase of the criminal justice system imposes a financial cost on the “users” of that system, even before they are convicted of a crime. These bail, fines, and fees take a steep toll on the people who face them and their families. They also affect taxpayers, who bear the cost of excess incarceration when people can’t pay.
This video highlights the voices of four so-called justice system “users”—people forced to pay bond or lose their liberty till trial. Their accounts help illustrate the problems inherent in this system, particularly the difficult choices the criminal justice system pushes them to make: paying their bond fees and paying for food and clothing for themselves and their families; bailing out their family members or paying rent.
Learn more about the use of bail, fines, and fees: http://www.vera.org/past-due