Pay-to-stay fees are utilized in 48 states across the U.S., raising significant funds from various programs. These fees disproportionately affect incarcerated individuals, as increasing fees rarely meet resistance from lawmakers, who may also be unaware of their existence. The advocacy group Campaign Zero found that many states impose room and board and medical fees, contributing to substantial debt. Only California and Illinois have fully repealed these fees, indicating a need for reform in state correctional policies to alleviate the financial burdens placed on incarcerated people and their families.
Forty-eight states in the U.S. allow at least one form of 'pay-to-stay' fees for incarcerated individuals, which often leads to long-term debt upon release.
Most incarcerated individuals cannot fully pay their imposed fees while in prison, resulting in accumulating debt they must address post-release.
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