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Ohio ACLU Calls for End of ‘Pay-to-Stay’ Jail Fees
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for an end to “pay-to-stay” jail fees that the group says perpetuate cycles of debt and incarceration.
The ACLU’s Ohio chapter says jails should take prisoners’ ability to pay into account and should not turn debts over to collections agencies that could damage offenders’ credit rating.
The civil liberties group also said in a report released Monday that prisoners should be allowed to take educational and vocational courses in lieu of paying fees.
The ACLU report says 40 of the state’s 75 full-service county jails charge pay-to-stay fees either through a booking fee, a daily fee or both.
The report says jails in Williams, Marion and Guernsey counties charge some of the highest booking fees and daily fees.