A $4,000 bill for a stay in a Kentucky jail

28/01/2020 15 min

Listen "A $4,000 bill for a stay in a Kentucky jail"

Episode Synopsis

County jails throughout Kentucky regularly collect 'booking fees' and 'per diem' charges from inmates, as if they were hotels. One person got a $4,000 bill for a jail stay in Clark County after he was released with no conviction for any crime. Is this fair? Is it constitutional? WDRB.com criminal justice reporter Jason Riley explains the history of the practice and efforts to reform it.  SUNDAY EDITION | Kentucky court to decide if jails can force inmates to pay before conviction