Welcome to Debtors' Prison, 2011 Edition .

[upstatecajun]

Some lawmakers, judges and regulators are trying to rein in the U.S. debt-collection industry's use of arrest warrants to recoup money owed by borrowers who are behind on credit-card payments, auto loans and other bills.

More than a third of all U.S. states allow borrowers who can't or won't pay to be jailed. Judges have signed off on more than 5,000 such warrants since the start of 2010 in nine counties with a total population of 13.6 million people, according to a tally by The Wall Street Journal of filings in those counties. Nationwide figures aren't known because many courts don't keep track of warrants by alleged offense. In interviews, 20 judges across the nation said the number of borrowers threatened with arrest in their courtrooms has surged since the financial crisis began.

The backlash is a reaction to sloppy, incomplete or even false documentation that can result in borrowers having no idea before being locked up that they were sued to collect an outstanding debt. The debt-collection industry says such errors are extremely rare, adding that warrants usually are sought only after all other efforts to persuade borrowers to pay have failed.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704396504576204553811636610.html?KEYWORDS=prison

[liberalhistorian]

1. "Only after all other efforts to persuade borrowers

to pay have failed"? Um, how about the fact that most DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING MONEY AND THUS ARE UNABLE TO PAY? So, it doesn't matter what "efforts" you use to "persuade"? And any money they might have available goes to trivial shit like food and keeping a roof over their heads? That is, if they're lucky enough to even have or be able to find a fucking job as it is?

[upstatecajun]

2. My question is

When did going to jail for not paying a debt make a come back? Thought debtor prisons were history long ago. :shrug:

[mdmc]

3. what do the debtors do in jail? run up our taxes?

[Newest Reality]

4. Yes, another front to fight?

Debt collections are important in this country and whatever it takes to get the money will probably be allowed.

What do the people who don't have any money do to post bail or pay fines? Looks like it could be yet another way to insource some labor in private prisons if the debtors have no means to get out.

[david13]

5. I'm not sure what you are talking about. In California, what you may

mean would be fta. Failure to Appear.
The collectors falsely file papers with the court saying that they served you with papers.
They then obtain a court judgment against you.
They then file a debtors examination, whereby you are ordered to come to court to explain what assets you may have to pay the judgment.
They also file false papers saying that you were notified of that court date.
They then file more false papers saying that you knew of the court date and did not show up.
However, the information I have about Los Angeles county is that almost no leo (law enforcement officer) for any agency will take you to jail on it.
They may not be able to legally. Usually they just give you a notice to go to court.
Even if they did take you to jail, the jailers would cut you loose forthwith. They are way over crowded as it is.
dc

[intaglio]

6. Sounds like "Little Dorrit" to me

Check the 2 disc version with Alec Guinness and Derek Jacoby

[MrsCorleone]

7. Privatized prisons in need of more "customers"?

Methinks that following the cases of those incarcerated will reveal a far more interesting story.

[999998th word]

8. There needs to be a LOT of light shed on this.This needs to be FRONT AND CENTER.

Subject of my first post on any forum, ever.People have no clue this is occurring.When you try to make them aware of this insidious practice
they look @you like you have two heads.Things have changed drastically over the last couple of years.The greedy bastards in the prison industry,
debt collection industry+elected officials who are members of A.L.E.C.,have indeed conspired to make this a reality in many jurisdictions, as the
above poster accurately pointed out.they dont ARREST you for debt per se .the pretext is failure to appear.Your 'bail 'is often coincidentally the
amount of your 'debt',very often there are tacked on bullshit'legal fees'.This legislation serves a definite and onerous purpose.These charges on your
record have the potential to deny you the ability to vote,receive public assistance,and fill privatized prisons with a guaranteed flow of slave labor.
Read some of the details of the bills they are trying to RUSH through-all at once.Scary and appalling .Knowlege is power I wish I had some.Sorry.