Here's the sad story of a Chicago woman who got locked up in 2016 because the court system made a mistake about minor marijuana possession charges from 1993.
From Reason:
Eatman was ordered held without bond, which is normally reserved for murderers and major flight risks. She spent another 29 days locked up, missing her son's birthday and Thanksgiving.
It was only when Cara Smith — a chief officer at the Cook County Sheriff's Office — ordered an audit of first-time offenders locked up in their jail that Eatman's case was given a thorough look.
…
Locking someone up for marijuana possession will hopefully become a thing of the past soon, but the aggressive policing of cigarette sales (using beat cops to ensure vice taxes are being adhered to) and the stunning ease with which the state snatched a woman from her life because of a series of bureaucratic errors and zero accountability from authorities are evidence of the systemic inhumanity experienced by citizens who lack the financial resources to fight back.
Image: Alcatraz Prison Cell by Derek Key/Flickr
