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Debt Company Makes Sheriffs Rich by Jailing the Poor, Lawsuit Claims

That is bizarre. This isn't going to make big waves in the media as most Oklahomans are the wrong color.
 
worksforpigs said:
I really doubt many outside Oklahoma know it's going on, let alone understand it.
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I think you might be surprised. Remember Ferguson, Missouri? The city was getting a significant source of funding from the fines that they were charging - and from the extra fees and charges added on if the original fines weren't paid for any reason. That was part of the reason the black community there was up in arms.
 
Glen Contrarian said:
I think you might be surprised. Remember Ferguson, Missouri? The city was getting a significant source of funding from the fines that they were charging - and from the extra fees and charges added on if the original fines weren't paid for any reason. That was part of the reason the black community there was up in arms.
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Yes I know, and they falsely claimed that it was race-based.

It should have been about City Hall trying to rake in money rather than anything else.

This Oklahoma case doesn't involve city officials but rather a Sheriff's organization which I think makes it very unique.
 
JasperL said:
All I can say is I hope these poor folks win the lawsuit and programs like this in too many places around the country are all struck down.
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If it's true, it sounds like people may need to go to jail.
 
Years ago our county had a sheriff who made money off bank foreclosures and the like. He was investigated. He was eventually voted out of office, replaced by a Latino sheriff. Ramirez was quite popular and maintained office until he retired. We had a DA who had a parade of pretty secretaries, and the rumors that went with that. He was replaced by a younger, more ethical fellow. I do not know what happened to our crooked county treasurer. He likely retired to parts unknown (Costa Rica). So, yes, the public has to be on the alert for scoundrels in office (both local and in Washington), and unfortunately, we always will.
 
radcen said:
Debt Company Makes Sheriffs Rich by Jailing the Poor, Lawsuit Claims

https://www.thedailybeast.com/debt-...awsuit-claims?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning
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In 2016, “failure to pay” was the fourth most common cause of incarceration in the state, with 1,163 Oklahomans booked into jail, according to the lawsuit. (That’s almost as many as possession of controlled substance, the most common cause of incarceration, with 1,326 people book.) Currently, Oklahoma has approximately 45,000 open “failure to pay” warrants, Daniel Smolen, one of the attorneys representing Wilkins told The Daily Beast



That is a pretty scary article. Hidden fees and arrest warrants...
 
worksforpigs said:
Yes I know, and they falsely claimed that it was race-based.

It should have been about City Hall trying to rake in money rather than anything else.

This Oklahoma case doesn't involve city officials but rather a Sheriff's organization which I think makes it very unique.
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Do yourself a favor and look up the findings of the DOJ in their investigation of Ferguson - yeah, race had a LOT to do with it.
 
Glen Contrarian said:
I think you might be surprised. Remember Ferguson, Missouri? The city was getting a significant source of funding from the fines that they were charging - and from the extra fees and charges added on if the original fines weren't paid for any reason. That was part of the reason the black community there was up in arms.
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Well, tax raises aren't popular and people fight them vigorously, yet the thirst for more money for more spending remains unabated. They're getting creative to keep the gravy train going.
 
Bodhisattva said:
In 2016, “failure to pay” was the fourth most common cause of incarceration in the state, with 1,163 Oklahomans booked into jail, according to the lawsuit. (That’s almost as many as possession of controlled substance, the most common cause of incarceration, with 1,326 people book.) Currently, Oklahoma has approximately 45,000 open “failure to pay” warrants, Daniel Smolen, one of the attorneys representing Wilkins told The Daily Beast



That is a pretty scary article. Hidden fees and arrest warrants...
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We may not have debtor prisons by name, but we have debtor prisons.
 
MaggieD said:
Really. If the press focused more on this corrupt crap AND the sexual misconduct charges of powerful men AND the need for body and dash cams AND AND AND than they focus on presidential tweets? Our country would become a MUCH greater place.

LOCK EM UP!
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Problem is, media needs money too, and they make money by giving people what they want, and people want pettiness. Hell, people lap it up.

Serious news is a snoozefest for most people and ratings (read: profit) would plummet.
 
Glen Contrarian said:
Do yourself a favor and look up the findings of the DOJ in their investigation of Ferguson - yeah, race had a LOT to do with it.
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Yeah I did - it was a correlation/causation fallacy which endlessly invoked "blacks disproportionately affected."

That blacks are most Ferguson residents and are the poorest doesn't equal proof of racial targeting.

It's not uncommon for cities to try make up money by raking in bull**** fines and charging ridiculously for parking or traffic tickets. My city does it.
 
radcen said:
Problem is, media needs money too, and they make money by giving people what they want, and people want pettiness. Hell, people lap it up.

Serious news is a snoozefest for most people and ratings (read: profit) would plummet.
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The problem is that the media present themselves as ideal-driven professionals above that type of thing, when in reality they are not.
 
radcen said:
We may not have debtor prisons by name, but we have debtor prisons.
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That's not accurate. You don't go to prison if you don't pay your debts. These are related to government fines and fees, not a defunct Target credit card.
 
worksforpigs said:
The problem is that the media present themselves as ideal-driven professionals above that type of thing, when in reality they are not.
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You don't understand marketing when you see it? Pizza Hut proclaims itself "America's favorite pizza", but simply having more sales because you have more outlets at more colleges to take advantage of frat parties does not necessarily make it so.
 
radcen said:
In other words, a debt. Thank you.
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Merriam-Webster disagrees with you.

Definition of debt

1 :sin, trespass Forgive us our debts.
2 :something owed : obligation unable to pay off his debts owe them a debt of gratitude a criminal's debt to society
3 :a state of being under obligation to pay or repay someone or something in return for something received :a state of owing deeply in debt to creditors
4 law, business :the common-law action for the recovery of money held to be due
 
worksforpigs said:
Merriam-Webster disagrees with you.

Definition of debt

1 :sin, trespass Forgive us our debts.
2 :something owed : obligation unable to pay off his debts owe them a debt of gratitude a criminal's debt to society
3 :a state of being under obligation to pay or repay someone or something in return for something received :a state of owing deeply in debt to creditors
4 law, business :the common-law action for the recovery of money held to be due
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Are you in an alternate universe? You say Merriam-Webster disagrees with me, then post proof that they agree with me. Bizarre.

Beyond that. X owes Y money via Z. That is a debt. Period. X cannot, or simply does not, pay Y and/or Z. Y and Z work together and put X in jail. Name it whatever you want, X is now in jail for not paying a debt. Save the spin and euphemisms. No way around it.
 
radcen said:
Are you in an alternate universe? You say Merriam-Webster disagrees with me, then post proof that they agree with me. Bizarre.

Beyond that. X owes Y money via Z. That is a debt. Period. X cannot, or simply does not, pay Y and/or Z. Y and Z work together and put X in jail. Name it whatever you want, X is now in jail for not paying a debt. Save the spin and euphemisms. No way around it.
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Well no wonder you're confused, you only highlighted the part of the definition you agreed with.
 
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