ENGAGE: Fines & Fees: Punishing the Poor and Increasing Disparity

From the cash bail system, to fines and fees while incarcerated, to the cost of reentering society, our society functions on a punitive system of fines and fees that often catapults those already experiencing hardship into a spiraling cycle of debt and repayments - never fully able to catch up. Join us as we explore the inequity surrounding fines and fees in our criminal justice system and its role in increasing race-based disparities. Featured panelists include Washtenaw County Prosecutors Eli Savit and Victoria Burton-Harris; and Dr. Meghan O’ Neil, Research Scholar at the Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research. This panel will be facilitated by MSW Student and Co-founder of Michigan Liberation, Nicholas Buckingham.