Poverty should not be criminalized. New York lawmakers seek to eliminate court fees, parole, probation, and other fines implemented by the criminal justice system in an effort to lessen the high rates of incarceration at Rikers Island jail, an understaffed detainment center infamous for overcrowdedness, disease, and inhumane living conditions.
Lack of wealth often stems from lack of privilege, and lack of privilege stems from a cycle of debt and incarceration that’s incessantly continued since our nation’s founding. Legally arresting someone based on their inability to pay tedious fees and fines showcases a clear classist division. The criminal justice system should not rely on incarceration as a source of revenue, and New York lawmakers are finally taking action. The measure’s sponsor, Manhattan Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, expresses her dismay in a quote that follows:
“This is a system designed to criminalize poverty. To marginalize New Yorkers who can’t pay the arbitrary revenue-generating court fees baked into every step in our state’s legal process. New Yorkers deserve a justice system that works fairly for all — not just those who can afford to pay its endless surcharges.”
Wealth does not determine worth. Everyone deserves a fair chance at pursuing their life of choice. The inability to pay costly fines and fees incurred from lawyers, convictions, etc., are not a reasonable basis of incarceration, and the introduction of this measure represents hope for New Yorkers who’ve been viciously victimized by a classist system.
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