Photos: YouTube Screenshots
In yet another example of how the criminal legal system extracts wealth from the poorest families, at least one-third of prison systems nationwide charge fines as a punishment for a rule violation. Prison administrators claim that imposing disciplinary fines, along with other punishments, helps to maintain order and reduce violence in correctional facilities. They also argue that the fines simulate outside-of-prison processes for dealing with misconduct, such as parking tickets.
Though rule violations and their corresponding sanctions are a common feature of incarceration, disciplinary fines and fees aren’t the way to create safe environments where people can prepare for their release. On the contrary, when prisons impose these charges and subsequently help themselves to the funds in people’s prison accounts, incarcerated people are often left with little to no money for purchasing essential items and services that the prison doesn’t provide.
As a result, their mental and physical health suffers, creating a more volatile environment inside. Loved ones also pay the price of these fines — often literally, as a primary source of financial support.
Like medical “co-pays” and exceedingly low wages in prison, disciplinary fines and fees are little more than a means to exploit incarcerated people. Whether they’re tiered fines or flat “administrative” fees, they are an undue burden; prison is already one big financial sanction for those who are already on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder.
By focusing on punitive measures that deprive people further, prisons miss the mark on what actually makes prisons safer — providing opportunity rather than taking it away. We hope advocates and policymakers will understand how disciplinary fees, which exist alongside other excessive punishments, undermine the rehabilitative goals of corrections, the safety of people inside, and the odds of success during reentry.
Disciplinary fines and fees are used in about one-third of all prison systems
To determine just how common disciplinary fines and fees are, we combed through the publicly available policies on prison disciplinary procedures in each state and the federal prison system. We also looked at policies related to prison-controlled bank accounts (often called “inmate trust accounts”) and related fees, as well as practices relating to collecting debts. We found that at least 16 prison systems charge incarcerated people disciplinary fines or fees: READ MORE
"Kama mfano mwingine wa jinsi mfumo wa sheria za jinai unavyotengeneza utajiri kutoka kwa familia maskini, angalau thuluthi moja ya mifumo ya magereza nchini kote inatoza faini kama adhabu kwa ukiukaji wa sheria.""" Wasimamizi wa magereza husema kwamba kuweka faini za nidhamu, pamoja na adhabu nyinginezo, husaidia kudumisha utaratibu na kupunguza jeuri katika vituo vya kurekebisha. Pia wanasema kwamba faini hizo zinafanana na taratibu za nje ya gereza za kushughulikia makosa, kama vile tiketi za maegesho. Ingawa ukiukaji wa sheria na adhabu zinazolingana nazo ni sifa ya kawaida ya kufungwa, faini za nidhamu na ada si njia ya kuunda mazingira salama ambapo watu wanaweza kujitayarisha kwa ajili ya kuachiliwa kwao. Kinyume chake, wakati magereza yanapoweka malipo haya na baadaye kujisaidia wenyewe kwa fedha katika akaunti za gereza la watu, watu waliofungwa mara nyingi huachwa na pesa kidogo au hakuna pesa kwa ununuzi wa vitu muhimu na huduma ambazo gereza halitoi. Matokeo ni kwamba, afya yao ya akili na ya kimwili huathiriwa, na hivyo kutokeza hali ya kutoelewana ndani ya nyumba. Wapendwa pia hulipa bei ya faini hizi - mara nyingi kihalisi, kama chanzo kikuu cha msaada wa kifedha. Kama "kulipa pamoja" kwa matibabu na mishahara ya chini sana gerezani, faini na ada za nidhamu ni njia tu ya kuwatumia vibaya watu waliofungwa. Iwe ni faini za ngazi au ada ya "utawala" ya gorofa, ni mzigo usiofaa; gereza tayari ni adhabu moja kubwa ya kifedha kwa wale ambao tayari wako kwenye ngazi ya chini ya ngazi ya kiuchumi. Kwa kuzingatia hatua za adhabu ambazo zinawazuia watu zaidi, magereza hupoteza alama ya kile kinachofanya magereza kuwa salama zaidi - kutoa fursa badala ya kuiondoa. """Tunatarajia watetezi na watunga sera wataelewa jinsi ada za nidhamu, ambazo zipo pamoja na adhabu nyingine za kupita kiasi, zinaathiri malengo ya ukarabati wa marekebisho, usalama wa watu ndani, na uwezekano wa mafanikio wakati wa kuingia tena." """Mashtaka ya nidhamu na ada hutumiwa katika theluthi moja ya mifumo yote ya gereza, ili kuamua ni kiasi gani cha faini na ada za nidhamu ni za kawaida, tulichunguza sera zinazopatikana kwa umma juu ya taratibu za nidhamu za gereza katika kila jimbo na mfumo wa gereza la shirikisho." Pia tulichunguza sera zinazohusiana na akaunti za benki zinazodhibitiwa na gereza (mara nyingi huitwa "akaunti za uaminifu za wafungwa") na ada zinazohusiana, pamoja na mazoea yanayohusiana na kukusanya madeni. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mashtaka ya 16 ya kuendesha mashtaka ya uhamisho wa kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo cha kifungo."""