Fines, jail, probation, debt: Court policies punish the poor
LIBERTY, Tenn. — Johnny Gibbs has been trying to get a valid driver’s license for 20 years, but he just can’t afford it. To punish him for high school truancy in 1999, Tennessee officials told him he would not be able to legally drive until he turned 21. He drove anyway, incurring two tickets and racking up more than $1,000 in fines and fees. Like other low-income defendants in similar situations across the country, Gibbs couldn’t pay and ended up […]
