Peter Edelman, "Not A Crime To Be Poor"

One revelation of the Justice Department’s Ferguson Report was racially biased policing, and another is a system of laws and fees that have effectively made poverty a crime. By levying fines for trespassing, failure to appear in court, and other minor transgressions, then jailing those who can’t pay, the government targets people already caught in cycles of poverty and keeps them there. Edelman, a former advisor to Robert Kennedy and now Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law and Public Policy and the faculty director of the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University Law Center, argues that this is a retributive system that harms both individuals and their communities.
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[@theologicallife.....1103]

I really appreciate Atty Edeleman's contribution and research to Racial Inequality and Social Justice. This is such a well received issue and topic and the discussion is overdue. Also thank you goes out to Stephen Bright at the SCHR for highlighting and promoting Mr. Edelman's writing.

[@mustbtrouble]

Great view. Important issue. wish I could thank prof. Edelman for his work. I'm a uc graduate & typically considered middle class. Yet have experienced this phenomena 1st hand owing over $4k in fines & having my vehicle repossessed for a traffic fix it ticket I originally paid by check 2yrs ago.(& Yes the court cashed that original check)

[@4terrascorned]

A million here, 10 million there. Who pays? The taxpayer. When does one of the people that are responsible ever pay? Whether we are talking about our corrupt justice system, our corrupt baught and paid for government, or Wall Street and the banks. When does anybody responsible actually get held accountable? Why the hell would anybody stop when someone else is paying the tab? We are ruled by a criminal caste. Until we start holding the actual criminals responsible for their criminality none of this will change.

[@mns8732]

P&P great bookstore, and a great community.

[@theologicallife.....1103]

Looks like a great place for sure.