6-21-13: How Being in Jail Can Land You in Debt and Vice Versa




WYPR: Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast Podcast show

Summary: When convicts pay their debt to society…should they accrue financial debt? “The Lines Between Us” asks Baltimore's deputy public defender how much money it costs to be involved with the criminal justice system. Then–why are Maryland debtors landing in jail? The short version: they're missing court dates. But consumer advocates say the process is unfair to the poor. We'll hear how the courts might react to a state law passed this spring to keep debtors out of jail.