News & Commentary

“There are so many other factors. There are so many other consequences. It’s not even just about the retribution portion of being incarcerated. There is so much after the fact to deal with and to just try to get things together.”
– Michael W. Geauga County

Pay-to-stay fees bring an avalanche of financial, mental, and emotional stress for people after their release from jail. Michael W. of Geauga County depicts his struggles with these debts.
“I was doing pretty well and my credit score was high for my age, but once this occurred, I had lawyer fees. I had to pay thousands of dollars to take care of this and went into debt. When I got out I had to take care of myself, but I didn’t have anything anymore.
“I’m up to here in my eyeballs and then I get these emails saying ‘your credit score is dropping, your credit score is dropping.’
“I’ve looked into declaring bankruptcy, but it costs money to even do that. I’m kind of stuck for right now, just barely getting by. I think, if I can get the $700 together then I can declare bankruptcy and all the debt can be just gone and it can finally be off my shoulders. But right now I’m looking at, like, on top of the thousand that I owe them, I’ve got another $20,000 on my cards. And most of it was just lawyers.
“I had been couch surfing for about a month. My parents couldn’t handle me. My girlfriend, fiancé couldn’t handle me. It was like, I still don’t know.
“I used to have dreams that I was back in there. And I couldn’t stay at my parents place anyways because I slept in the basement and its cinder block walls. I’d wake up and think I was in jail again and I’d lose it. I couldn’t deal with it.”
Michael’s story is one of many. The details may vary but the common thread of disruption and struggle are the same.

Expectations Versus Reality

Many of us expect formerly incarcerated people to resume normal lives after serving time in jail. But this assumption neglects the need for continual support to reintegrate successfully. Adding debt onto a person who may already be struggling to succeed is a recipe for failure. These fees don’t add up either, providing very little in terms

Belle Likover and Piper Kerman

Piper Kerman, ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Chris Link,
and ACLU of Ohio Board President Jack Guttenberg

"Women and girls in prison suffer with mental health
and substance abuse issues at much higher rates than men."

Piper Kerman, Development Manager Jocelyn Rosnick, Belle Likover,
Associate Development Director Mary LaVigne-Butler

While it is not a presidential election year, this November 3 might be the most important day you will ever cast your ballot in Ohio. And no, we are not talking about marijuana. We are talking about the very important, but sadly unexciting, issue of redrawing state legislative districts to be fairer. You Can Have a Direct Impact on Elections Redrawing legislative districts, redistricting, gerrymandering—whatever you call it—this is the first time in over 40 years that we the people will be able to vote on a major overhaul that has a chance to make a difference in how Ohio’s state legislators are elected to office.

Prison is not the easiest topic to make entertaining, but The Washington Post called “Orange is the New Black” “the best TV show about prison ever made.” Of course “Orange is the New Black” is not all entertainment, and not entirely fiction. In fact it is based on the book, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison, the memoir of Piper Kerman. Piper is not just the inspiration behind the show, she is the real life hero tackling issues surrounding prison. Join us Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m. for the 2015 Ed Likover Memorial Lecture, with our special guest Piper Kerman. Engage with Piper and hear her discuss her personal experiences, as well as relay stories and insights into the issues surrounding women’s prisons, mass incarceration, and solitary confinement. The event is free and open to the public. Visit our event page for further details and to RSVP.