HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Two decades after her release from prison, Teresa Beatty feels she is still being punished.
“I just don’t think it’s right, because I feel I already paid my debt to society.
Supporters say the collections are a legitimate way for states to recoup millions of taxpayer dollars spent on prisons and jails.
Critics say it’s an unfair second penalty that hinders rehabilitation by putting former inmates in debt for life.
The state retained its ability, though, to collect some prison debts already on the books before the law changed.
Many, like Connecticut, only go after inmates for the cost of incarceration if they come into money after leaving prison.
Beatty’s lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, argues that the pay-to-stay seizures violate the excessive fines clause of the Constitution. »
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