I was listening to a podcast where a serial killer was in debt half a million dollars. He was then put in prison for life. What happens to that debt?
In: Economics
Debts don’t stop just because you are locked up, car notes still have to be paid, mortgages, rent, utilities and other large expenses. Most prisoners will be able to make arrangements, such as signing their cars over to relatives or whathaveyou. If you cannot pay, the same thing will happen as if you were in the free world, your debts will accumulate, and eventually they will default.
If you have money owed against you, it may get taken out of commissary or (if the state/federal prison you are in pays you for labor) it will get taken out of your “wage.” In prison next to everything costs money so relatives frequently send money, a portion of that (the bulk actually) goes to debts and fines. Most prisoners actually have legal fines of some kind so this isn’t abnormal. Even if you were debt free when you went in and assuming you have no legal fees or victim restitution fees, you can still accumulate legal fees behind bars. Assault a guard? It isn’t just a trip “to the hole” like they say in the movies, it gets passed on to a DA and in addition to a battery on a peace officer charge, you could be looking at a $10,000+ fine that follows you on the outside.
Latest Answers