Pay-to-stay (imprisonment) - Wikipedia
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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

    • olav
      0•7 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.worksOPEnglish
        0•7 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
          0•7 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.worksOPEnglish
            0•7 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.worldEnglish
              0•7 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.