Why should you care if a person who commits a crime has to pay for services while incarcerated? In short, because the fees can be destructive. We’re not talking about fines — those monetary punishments that judges impose on offenders. And this isn’t about restitution — an additional sanction intended to compensate victims. These fees, including $.14 per minute to make a phone call to family, are far more insidious, functioning like predatory taxes that raise revenue for the government. And they can have severe economic consequences, particularly for people who are already in debt when they enter the system. So grab your calculators and come take a trip through the criminal justice system with us. We’re going to show you what a punishment on top of a punishment looks like — and how it impacts all of us. | 🎥 Jonah Kessel and Kirk Semple #criminaljustice #criminaljusticesystemfailure #criminaljusticereformnow #nytopinion