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Ferguson and the Modern Debtor’s Prison

Post by Ean Lee Bordeaux . How does a stop for jaywalking turn into a homicide and how does that turn into an American town essentially coming under military control with snipers, tear gas, and a no-fly zone? We don’t yet know exactly what happened between the two individuals on the day in question but events like this don’t happen without a deeper context. Part of the context is the return of debtor’s prisons that I wrote about in 2012: Debtor’s prisons are supposed to be illegal in the United States  but today poor people who fail to pay even small criminal justice fees are routinely being imprisoned. The problem has gotten worse recently because strapped states have dramatically increased the number of criminal justice fees….Failure to pay criminal justice fees can result in revocation of an individual’s drivers license, arrest and imprisonment. Individuals with revoked licenses who drive (say to work to earn money to pay their fees) and are apprehended ca

Tribute Page- James Foley (1973-2014)

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TRIBUTE PAGE James Foley (1973-2014) James Foley James’ mother describes him as an “extraordinary son.” To us, he was an extraordinary journalist, who abhorred violence and  was motivated by the desire to highlight the plight of the victims of war. As an internationally renowned journalist, James’ work took him to Libya and Syria. While being held captive by the Islamic State, he remained impassive in the face of threats, clinging to the hope that he would eventually return home. Courageous and composed, he communicated his hope to his fellow prisoners. Reporters Without Borders extends its sincere condolences to his family, especially his mother, who came to our headquarters in Paris. As an organization, we had known James ever since he raised funds with other photo journalists and the assistance of Reporters Without Borders to support the education of the three children of his friend Anton Hammerl, killed in Libya in April 2011. In memory of James Foley, Rep