Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice
- Downloads：8979
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-12 19:21:02
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Tony Messenger
- ISBN：1250274648
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Andrew
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In my youth， I generally believed the tropes about poverty - that with hard work， it was possible to lift yourself out of it， all that was required was the will to do what was necessary。 Over the years since， I've come to understand just how naïve that idea is， and what vicious trap poverty is。 It is expensive to be poor in so many ways that people with money have trouble comprehending。 When people are barely living from paycheck to paycheck， they often can afford to live near the giant supermar In my youth， I generally believed the tropes about poverty - that with hard work， it was possible to lift yourself out of it， all that was required was the will to do what was necessary。 Over the years since， I've come to understand just how naïve that idea is， and what vicious trap poverty is。 It is expensive to be poor in so many ways that people with money have trouble comprehending。 When people are barely living from paycheck to paycheck， they often can afford to live near the giant supermarkets， with their vast selections and lower prices。 Instead， they live in lower cost neighborhoods， where their groceries come from tiny stores with limited selections and higher prices。 They can't afford a new， reliable car， so they buy a beat up used car， and then face a ongoing string of repair bills。 Their decision making is focused on their current cash situation， which causes them to create even more expenses in the future。 It is a vicious cycle that leaves so many trapped。But even with that growing awareness of the ways poverty traps people， I didn't appreciate the role that the courts play in this cycle。 Sure， I was aware that court fees are added to fines （I've paid traffic and parking fines and seen the fees， albeit many years ago）， but I had no idea of the extent to which these fees have become a source of revenue for local governments and how the create yet another cost that impacts the poor in ways that the well off don't experience。Those politicians who campaign on a platform of "law and order" would tell you that the system is fine， that those suffering under it are criminals who deserve what they get。 But when you dig into the specifics， that argument doesn't hold up well。 So many poor people end up pleading guilty because it gets them *out* of jail。 They can't afford bail， so they sit in jail until their court date。 Then they are told that their sentence would be "time served" if they plead guilty， meaning they can go home， so they do。 But here's the vicious twist - they will be billed for the time they spent in jail， and if they don't pay the bill （which they very often can't）， they risk being sent back to jail， which only serves to increase the amount they owe。 It is a vicious cycle that is virtually impossible to escape。 Compound this by suspending the driver's licenses of those who can't pay， and now they will struggle to get and hold a job， adding to their economic struggles。The author is a journalist， making this book easy to read， driven by the compelling narratives of the people he profiles。 He shows how the most trivial of infractions - shoplifting an $8 item or speeding - can be the trigger that springs the trap for so many， burying people in debt that they will never be able to pay and which becomes an ongoing threat to their liberty。 And the content of this book is well documented。 The author provides forty-five pages of notes for just 190 pages of text， showing just how much research he has done。For those who want to truly understand the challenges faced by those who live in （or at the edge of） poverty， this book is an important insight into the ways public policy can make it impossible for people to escape their economic situation。 。。。more
Sara Broad
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Tony Messenger's "Profit and Punishment" is a nonfiction work about the cycle of punishment， incarceration， fines， and endless court appearances that essentially rob people of any chance of overcoming past mistakes， large or small。 As Messenger highlight， the focus of the book is on white people in rural areas of Missouri， which are the parts of the state that rely most heavily on money obtained through punishment to obtain funds for courts， sheriffs， and police。 Urban areas have a different fun Tony Messenger's "Profit and Punishment" is a nonfiction work about the cycle of punishment， incarceration， fines， and endless court appearances that essentially rob people of any chance of overcoming past mistakes， large or small。 As Messenger highlight， the focus of the book is on white people in rural areas of Missouri， which are the parts of the state that rely most heavily on money obtained through punishment to obtain funds for courts， sheriffs， and police。 Urban areas have a different funding system and are also more lenient toward enforcing the collections of fines and debts owed by the mostly poor people who are subjected to the criminal justice system。 One shining light of this book is that Messenger's journalism brings more public attention to the way that people are buried by the fines that they owe and the near impossibility of any positive outcome。 Still， convincing legislatures to make any permanent changes to the laws that control this cycle of punishment is easier said than done， especially when this is the main source of funding for rural areas。 "Profit and Punishment" is an important read about an often overlooked issue。 。。。more
Raegan
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*I received this book for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review（Thank you for the opportunity to read a copy）*I couldn't get through this。 I just don't like all the numbers talk。 It would have been better suited for an hour documentary。 Not for me。 Will be passing this on。 *I received this book for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review（Thank you for the opportunity to read a copy）*I couldn't get through this。 I just don't like all the numbers talk。 It would have been better suited for an hour documentary。 Not for me。 Will be passing this on。 。。。more
Andréa
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