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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Debtors' Prison for Kids: When Families Can't Afford to Free Jailed Youths

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Monday, September 19, 2016   

NEW YORK — Across the country, young people are being imprisoned because their families are unable to pay fines or court fees, according to a new report.

The report, "Debtor's Prison for Kids," by the Juvenile Law Center, said the practice can pull young people deeper into the juvenile-justice system. In many states, court-imposed fees can include the cost of tests and evaluations, rehabilitation, probation and court operation.

Jessica Feierman, associate director at the Juvenile Law Center, called it a punishment for being poor.

"We're creating two separate systems of justice. This is really a glaring example of justice by income,” Feierman said. “We really can do better. We can set a system that's fair to all young people, not just the ones who have access to money."

According to the study, in New York where judges have discretion to order juveniles to pay restitution, there are fewer financial penalties for juvenile offenders than in any other state.But, unlike most states, New York automatically charges youth as young as 16 as adults, making them susceptible to fines and fees.

While it is rare for anyone to be jailed for failure to pay, Tina Luongo, attorney in charge of criminal practice at the Legal Aid Society of New York, said those fees can cause serious problems.

"Such as the entering of judgments which could ruin their credit scores and put them in detriment of not being able to get student loans,” Luongo said.

North Carolina is the only other state to charge 16-year-olds as adults. Some states, including Connecticut, are considering raising the age to 21.

And the impact of court costs is not spread evenly. Feierman said the research showed young people of color are more likely to have unpaid justice-system costs.

"We know there's a problem nationally with racial disparities in the juvenile-justice system,” Feierman said. "This gives us one very concrete policy change that we could make to try to turn that around."

Some jurisdictions in California and Washington State have taken steps to repeal fees and fines in their juvenile-justice systems.




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