Thank you to Concurring Opinions for a thoughtful commentary on this story from the New York Times (23 Feb), highlighting how former prisoners are often saddled with debt as a result of the various fees they are charged in connection with their conviction:
[…] Almost every encounter with the criminal justice system these days can give rise to a fee. There are application fees and co-payments for public defenders. Sentences include court costs, restitution and contributions to various funds. In Washington State, people convicted of certain crimes are also charged $100 so their DNA can be put in a database. […] But even relatively small fees — $40 per session, say, for a court-ordered anger management class or $15 for a drug test — can have devastating consequences for people who emerge from prison with no money, credit or prospects, and who live in fear of being sent back for failing to pay.
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