Program Overview
Professors Mary Patillo (Northwestern) and Stacey Sutton (UIC) speak with us this week about the many ways in which the City of Chicago exacerbates poverty with its injurious, escalating fines and punishments. At the municipal level, we cite the example that a person can receive a $200 fine for not purchasing a $100 city sticker. The fine doubles to $400 if not paid, and can easily lead to booting and impoundment of the car. When one’s car is a lifeline to employment and education, its loss can be crippling. On the state level similar situations occur with violations that can also lead to probation and even prison time, all for the failure to pay fines or fees. We discuss the myriad ways in which minority populations, particularly African-Americans, have never had equal access to capital in the form of proper mortgages and bank loans, and how this inability to access wealth has held an entire segment of our city in poverty for generations. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.