Opposing Jail Fees
Being arrested is not a service to the person arrested, but across the country, governments and jails charge people booking fees upon arrest, before there is any hearing or adjudication of guilt.
The American criminal justice system promises the presumption of innocence, and no one should be treated as guilty from the moment of arrest. But that's exactly what happens when governments charge people booking fees by demanding money during or immediately after the booking process. These fees are imposed without considering whether the person being arrested is guilty, without considering whether the person being arrested can afford the fee, and without any form of due process. Rather than providing arrestees with the protections guaranteed to them by the Constitution --- the presumption of innocence, notice and an opportunity to be heard by a neutral decisionmaker prior to a deprivation, and representation by legal counsel --- entities that charge booking fees sidestep due process and incentivize hasty arrests, all while lining their own pockets.
