Cruel and Unusual?
Pay-to-stay, other fees, can put jail inmates hundreds or thousands in debt
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In some Wisconsin counties, inmates pay an average of $390 a month in pay-to-stay fees; advocates say such fees can criminalize poverty.
WisconsinWatch.org (https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/author/izabela-zaluska/)
In some Wisconsin counties, inmates pay an average of $390 a month in pay-to-stay fees; advocates say such fees can criminalize poverty.
A Wisconsin Watch survey found jails across the state differ greatly in the fees they charge inmates; many do not list the information on their websites.
Gov. Tony Evers’ decriminalization proposal focuses on decreasing racial disparities in arrests; experts point to policing practices as the main issue.
The Democrat’s goal to reduce incarceration by 50 percent faces numerous hurdles; his own 2019-21 budget proposal calls for increasing prison beds.
Supervision time in Wisconsin is third-longest in the U.S., meaning more chances for revocations and increased prison populations.