Very weird that I am so old and have literally never heard this mentioned in a TV show or book or movie or anything.

In four out of five states, if you go to prison, you are literally paying for the time you spend there.

As you can guess, this results in crippling debt as soon as you’re released.

The county gets back a fraction of what they hold over your head the rest of your life until you commit suicide(or die naturally and peacefully with the sword of damocles hanging over your head).

$20-$80 a day according to Rutgers.

Counties apparently sue people and employ wage garnishment to get back the money that majority of people obviously cannot pay back.

https://www.rutgers.edu/news/states-unfairly-burdening-incarcerated-people-pay-stay-fees

  • Today@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    36
    ·
    6 months ago

    I have a friend who was in. Outrageously expensive! Paid ‘rent’, paid for various classes he was required to take, and paid for each mandatory random drig test. Plus, what they have to pay for phone calls is crazy!!

    • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Yeah that is totally crazy.

      I’ve obviously heard from movies and stuff that you have to pay for your phone calls, but not once have I sienna depicted prisoners paying for their jail time and paying for the classes they take prison.

      It’s totally insane

        • elvith@feddit.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          Let me guess - long distance is if it’s outside the prison? /s

          • olav@theweird.space
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            6
            ·
            6 months ago

            @Varyk I didn’t say that. AFAIK you’re mostly down to having friends send you money for soap and toothpaste

            • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksOP
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              9
              ·
              6 months ago

              What do you mean by your comment “I think it’s forgiven if you take the job making license plates at $2/hr sometimes $2/day”?

              • olav@theweird.space
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                4
                ·
                6 months ago

                @Varyk ultimately they want the slave labor for the companies they contract with.

                I mean even when it’s not a corporate “for-profit” prison it’s still for-profit by the government. Even in California

                • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  7
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  I’m missing something, because all of your comments are way out of context.

                  Were you trying to respond to somebody else initially?

                  • PineRune@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    3
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    6 months ago

                    They will pay prisoners pennies an hour for hard labor, which offsets their “rent.” Those that don’t work not only get punished in prison for disobedience but get riddled with debt afterward.