For-Profit Probation Companies Exploit Poorest Americans

I was on probation for a year.
It was $50 a month.
At the time, I didn't have anywhere to live, I didn't have any money,
I didn't have a job.
No nothing.
And the terror of every time it's "I gotta go in on the 15th, I've only got $20"
Then of course, you'll starve yourself to come up with the 50. It's crazy.
Private probation can really put a person's life in a downward spiral,
particularly if they are already living in poverty.
Probation is an alternative to incarceration that was generally supervised by state agencies
or local law enforcement but now a number of states allow private companies
to supervise probation
oftentimes for minor crimes and misdemeanors like petty theft or traffic offenses.
Private probation companies make 100% of their revenue and profits
from the people that they supervise.
This is called the user funded model of probation.
And so there's these incentives baked into the private probation system
for the company to do everything it can to make more money.
I think that the system is set up for you to fail because once you get on probation,
especially, it's just one fee after another and if you can't pay then you go to jail,
and then once you're in jail and then you get out, you have more court fees,
and then more fees and more and more, and more.
It never ends.
Many of the people that I met who were on probation were living in poverty,
surviving on things like disability payments or food stamps.
This is social security determination because I was trying to prove to them that I was broke.
Private probation companies have a direct financial interest in keeping people on probation
for as long as possible.
Probation companies also provide services like drug testing, background checks,
ankle monitors, courses and treatment,
making a profit from all the services they provide.
They drug test you all the time even if you are not charged with drugs,
they still test you and charge you for it.
I told the judge I was on disability.
There are times I can't get out of bed my back's so bad.
He said do the best you can to pay it. When you only get $753 a month
and they're taking $160 right off the top that doesn't leave you very much.
The letter to the judge I told him I was terminally ill and I was on social security disability,
Didn't even care.
They said you could work it off but obviously that wasn't going to happen.
I was really in no physical condition to be out working
so they just said have to have to pay it.
When a person can't afford to pay their supervision fees or court costs,
it may mean that they end up getting extended probation,
facing arrest, court hearings or even jail time.
It was all about that money.
If you had the money, you pretty much all right.
But if you didn't have any money ... You go to jail and 90% of the people in there
you talk to , "What are you doing in here?" "VOP.?""Violation of probation for nonpayment."
Private probation companies are making money off the poor across the US.
People shouldn't be forced to choose between buying food or paying for housing
and making their probation costs.
I clawed and scratched my way out of this mess but when you take people like me and
people I know that don't make a lot of money, you ruin them.
You flat out ruin them.
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For-Profit Probation Companies Exploit Poorest Americans

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