Missouri outlaws jail debt turning into jail time, following action by Gov. Mike Parson

[Sherman A1]

JEFFERSON CITY — Courts across the state will no longer be allowed to threaten defendants with more time behind bars if defendants fail to pay jail debts.

Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday signed House Bill 192, which does away with hearings at which defendants must explain to a judge why they should not be locked up for failure to pay jail "board bills." The bills cover the costs of imprisonment and can total thousands of dollars.

If defendants do not show up, or fail to make payments on their jail debt, they risk re-incarceration — and additional jail bills — even after fulfilling their original sentence.

"As a former sheriff and law enforcement officer, I understand the challenges facing those working within the criminal justice system, and we have to do a better job," Parson, a Republican, said in a statement.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-outlaws-jail-debt-turning-into-jail-time-following-action/article_26b4fa38-3437-502e-9f4a-49c4302e1f37.html

[Kurt V.]

1. Mostly due to messenger's great work at the post-dispatch.