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A private company in south Georgia has threatened, detained and jailed poor residents who could not pay court-ordered fees and fines, according to a new civil rights lawsuit — the latest of more than a dozen cases against money-making probation firms across the southeast.
The federal lawsuit filed Friday by the non-profit Southern Center for Human Rights claims employees of Red Hills Community Probation, which contracts with courts to collect fines, coerced payment from indigent residents of Pelham and Bainbridge, Georgia.
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Residents have been illegally detained within court buildings and jails, until they or a family member paid a portion of their debt to get them freed, the suit charges. In one case, an intellectually disabled man who admitted burning leaves was locked up when he couldn't come up with the cash.
"Red Hills probation officers hold poor people for ransom over traffic tickets, while their families scramble to come up with money to secure their release," said attorney Sarah Geraghty of the Southern Center. "Practices like this one erode public confidence in law enforcement and undermine the integrity of the court system."
Across Georgia and other southern states, probation companies contract with courts to supervise ensure people convicted of low-level crimes pay court debt. Probationers must also pay a monthly supervision fee to the company, typically between $20 and $40. Those who do not keep up with payments may be found to be in violation of their probation, and sent to jail.
Supporters of the industry say it allows courts to collect much-needed revenue, and lets probationers to pay over time. Opponents have likened private probation to a "debtors prison."
The Southern Center alleges that unlike many companies, Red Hills demanded money immediately. Those who could not pay were illegally detained or jailed, it claims, in violation of laws that require defendants have a hearing to determine that they had "willfully" failed to pay before they can be locked up.
...Georgia has the nation's largest misdemeanor private probation system. More than 30 licensed companies oversee about 140,000 probationers. But it has faced increasing criticism, including from a state audit last year that found widespread flaws.
At least one company, now shuttered, is under criminal investigation, and more than a dozen lawsuits against several companies are pending.
Probation Firm Holds Poor For Ransom Suit Charges - NBC News
Nice job, Georgia.
The federal lawsuit filed Friday by the non-profit Southern Center for Human Rights claims employees of Red Hills Community Probation, which contracts with courts to collect fines, coerced payment from indigent residents of Pelham and Bainbridge, Georgia.
Follow NBC News Investigations on Twitter and Facebook.
Residents have been illegally detained within court buildings and jails, until they or a family member paid a portion of their debt to get them freed, the suit charges. In one case, an intellectually disabled man who admitted burning leaves was locked up when he couldn't come up with the cash.
"Red Hills probation officers hold poor people for ransom over traffic tickets, while their families scramble to come up with money to secure their release," said attorney Sarah Geraghty of the Southern Center. "Practices like this one erode public confidence in law enforcement and undermine the integrity of the court system."
Across Georgia and other southern states, probation companies contract with courts to supervise ensure people convicted of low-level crimes pay court debt. Probationers must also pay a monthly supervision fee to the company, typically between $20 and $40. Those who do not keep up with payments may be found to be in violation of their probation, and sent to jail.
Supporters of the industry say it allows courts to collect much-needed revenue, and lets probationers to pay over time. Opponents have likened private probation to a "debtors prison."
The Southern Center alleges that unlike many companies, Red Hills demanded money immediately. Those who could not pay were illegally detained or jailed, it claims, in violation of laws that require defendants have a hearing to determine that they had "willfully" failed to pay before they can be locked up.
...Georgia has the nation's largest misdemeanor private probation system. More than 30 licensed companies oversee about 140,000 probationers. But it has faced increasing criticism, including from a state audit last year that found widespread flaws.
At least one company, now shuttered, is under criminal investigation, and more than a dozen lawsuits against several companies are pending.
Probation Firm Holds Poor For Ransom Suit Charges - NBC News
Nice job, Georgia.
