Most people who go to prison start their incarceration poor and come out even poorer. From $5 copays for nonemergency doctor visits to fees for a telephone call or video chat with loved ones to the high markups on food, personal care items and over-the-counter medications at the commissary, people need money in prison. They can work jobs to earn it, but those often pay less than $1 a day. Family members pitch in, sometimes pitching in hundreds of dollars a month into commissary accounts — after the state takes a cut of the deposit. Some people are even charged for their own room and board during incarceration. As a result, most people come home from prison broke or in debt. Many have legal fines to pay off, which come due as soon as they come home. The financial pressures put undue strain on working families and interfere with successful reentry and anti-recidivism efforts. Here from Natalie Holbrook-Combs, Director at American Friends Service Committee MI Criminal Justice Program, on how fees and fines are hurting Michigan families and hampering public safety efforts. Read our report, “Debtors in Prison: How fees and fines capture justice-involved Michigan families in debt,” now at bit.ly/DebtorsInPrisonReport (fb)

Over the weekend our Director of Outreach and Community Partnerships Ken Nixon attended the Community Driven Policy Teams meeting hosted by @sheriffalyshiadyer. A good opportunity to connect with people concerned about community safety. (fb)