The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that some people are going to prison for their debts despite the fact that debtors’ prison are not allowed.
In a powerful story by reporters Chris Serres and Glenn Howatt, the two explain how debtors can end up in jail in some states where creditors rule.
Debtors' Prison
The following is the top of their story:
“Whether a debtor is locked up depends largely on where the person lives, because enforcement is inconsistent from state to state, and even county to county.
In Illinois and southwest Indiana, some judges jail debtors for missing court-ordered debt payments. In extreme cases, people stay in jail until they raise a minimum payment. In January, a judge sentenced a Kenney, Ill., man “to indefinite incarceration” until he came up with $300 toward a lumber yard debt.
“The law enforcement system has unwittingly become a tool of the debt collectors,” said Michael Kinkley, an attorney in Spokane, Wash., who has represented arrested debtors. “The debt collectors are abusing the system and intimidating people, and law enforcement is going along with it.”
How often are debtors arrested across the country? No one can say. No national statistics are kept, and the practice is largely unnoticed outside legal circles. “My suspicion is the debt collection industry does not want the world to know these arrests are happening, because the practice would be widely condemned,” said Robert Hobbs, deputy director of the National Consumer Law Center in Boston.
Debt collectors defend the practice, saying phone calls, letters and legal actions aren’t always enough to get people to pay.”
Ever hear of deadbeat dads? When fathers can’t pay court ordered child support, I think they are jailed.
When you can’t pay for purchases from any federal agency, like record purchases, you can be prosecuted for theft from the government.