Why do we jail people for being poor? Today, half a million Americans are in jail only because they can't afford to post bail, and still more are locked up because they can't pay their debt to the court, sometimes for things as minor as unpaid parking tickets. Salil Dudani shares stories from individuals who have experienced debtors' prison in Ferguson, Missouri, challenging us to think differently about how we punish the poor and marginalized.

Salil Dudani: How jails extort the poor

How jails extort the poor

An encounter with DC police reveals biases in law enforcement, sparking a dialogue on the intersection of race, privilege, and justice.

The speaker's firsthand experience in Ferguson's jails exposes the cruel reality of debtor's prisons, where poverty is criminalized.

Bail policies reveal a justice system where freedom before trial hinges on wealth, not innocence, affecting 500,000 Americans.