Jailed Over an Old Debt [View All]

Dunno if this has been posted before, but I was struck by this article...maybe they're bringing back debtor's prisons? :(

Collection Tactics Lead Some Debtors To Jail

One Saturday night in July, Janelle Leslie was home with her three children near the town of Newport, Washington. She was worried about an unwanted visitor, so she asked a local sheriff's deputy to stop by.

Janelle Leslie: "After talking with him about some things, they had taken my drivers' license number and Social Security number down and ran a check. And it come back that I had a warrant."

A warrant for her arrest. All it said was she had failed to comply with a court order. She was completely befuddled.

(snip)

Janelle Leslie: "I had no idea of what I had been arrested for until it come across that it was Yakima Adjustment Service. And then I kind of clued in that it had been a collection bill." The bill was for 900 bucks.

More:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1704232/KPLU.Local.News/Collection.Tactics.Lead.Some.Debtors.To.Jail