PRACTITIONER BLOG
Read our analyses of developments in Impact Litigation and stay current on class action law
Settlements bring key technology, other accommodations for Deaf, hard of hearing, and blind incarcerated people in Colorado
When Brian Mackes wants to submit a grievance challenging prison conditions, contact the infirmary with his medical concerns, or write a letter to his lawyer, he has to dictate his words to a fellow prisoner* who writes them down and – he hopes – writes them legibly, spells them correctly, and keeps them in confidence. Zach Radford did not understand the teachers in his required therapeutic class and was eventually removed from the class for nonparticipation; he remained on the waiting list for other required classes while others were admitted. Mr. Mackes is blind; Mr. Radford is Deaf;** both are prisoners in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC).
Case Advances Challenging “Debtors' Prison” for Non-Payment of Bond Supervision Fees in Texas
Anderson County’s bond supervision fee is another example of criminalizing poverty, and another example of how Texas is a major civil rights battlefield right now. Ability to pay is not considered and not paying can mean jail time. In other words, pre-trial defendants can be incarcerated simply because they can’t afford a fee — a modern-day debtor’s prison.