Journal Articles

Drawing Blood from Stones: Legal Debt and Social Inequality in the Contemporary United States

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The expansion of the U.S. penal system has important consequences for poverty and inequality, yet little is known about the imposition of monetary sanctions. This study analyzes national and state‐level court data to assess their imposition and interview data to identify their social and legal consequences. Findings indicate that monetary sanctions are imposed on a substantial majority of the millions of people convicted of crimes in the United States annually and that legal debt is substantial relative to expected earnings. This indebtedness reproduces disadvantage by reducing family income, by limiting access to opportunities and resources, and by increasing the likelihood of ongoing criminal justice involvement.

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Detail Information

Series Title

American Journal of Sociology (AJS)

Call Number

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Publisher

Chicago : The University of Chicago Press., 2010

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

00029602

Classification

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Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 115 Number 6 May 2010.pp. 1753–99

Subject(s)

United States
Social Inequality

Specific Detail Info

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