A campaign to end the financial exploitation and criminalization of low-income people and neighborhoods
The focus of each fellowship campaign is determined by the fellows themselves. Grassroots power is at the core of our model. At Community Spring, we believe the answers to the community’s problems need to come from the people experiencing those issues. The fellows in the 2023-2024 class have seen firsthand the unjust and disproportionate harm of overpolicing and the criminalization of poverty. Their campaign is called Decriminalize Poverty! which envisions a community that maintains public safety without relying on the criminalization of poverty and overpolicing of low-income individuals and neighborhoods.
Decriminalize Poverty! was started by Community Spring Fellows (from left to right) Chandra Penny, JoJo Sacks, Skyler Thornton, Alfredo Morales, and Kelly Lynch who had been directly impacted by the criminalization of poverty.
The criminal legal system is designed in a way that traps low-income people in a cycle of debt and incarceration. Throughout Florida, including here in Gainesville and Alachua County, there are laws, punishments, fines and fees that unjustly target the poor. While roughly 80% of all criminal cases are for minor offenses that are punishable by less than a year in jail, they still have huge financial and social consequences for our low-income neighbors. The end result is that the overuse of the criminal legal system is a primary driver of poverty. Targeting low-income people with arrest, prosecution, incarceration, and debt is both cruel and counterproductive. Justice and safety should not be contingent on your bank account, and your likelihood of being arrested should not be determined by your zip code.
Campaign Goals
Highlighting the overpolicing of poor communities
These neighborhoods are simultaneously overpoliced and underprotected. That’s because policing often relies on pretextual traffic stops and arrests for minor offenses, which results in wide disparities in arrests and use of force based on race and income. Decriminalize Poverty! will show how these patterns play out locally and propose solutions that ensure public safety does not require mass incarceration.
Limiting the unjust financial burden of fines and fees
We have seen how an interaction with police can create a cycle of debt and reincarceration, whether due to excessive court fines and fees, a suspended license or a criminal record that results in lost job opportunities. These costs disproportionately impact low-income individuals and families. While the state imposes many of these fines, our local governments also charge fines and fees that many people cannot realistically afford to pay.
Sharing knowledge with neighbors about their rights
Too often, the difference between being free and being incarcerated comes down to knowing your rights. This is especially true for low-income people who cannot afford an attorney. With the power that comes with more knowledge, community members will have the tools to better navigate the injustice of the criminal justice system.
Learn more about the campaign through This explainer video
“Did you know that over 80% of all cases processed by the Criminal Justice system are for misdemeanor arrests? Or that Black Floridans make up 17% of the state’s population but close to 50% of the prison population? This can be traced back to…”
Learn more about the exploitation of poverty in our criminal justice system through this blog post
“As a nation, we are putting poor people in traps through the carceral system, and expecting them to climb out without question. We are cultivating cycles of poverty and despair, and then wondering why no one can get it together.”
Fines and fees
Trouble Paying Court Debt? You have a right to an income based payment plan!
Decriminalize Poverty! has been working on reducing the financial burden of fines and fees related to poverty. With this graphic, they wanted to create a simplified version full of general information in regards to the Clerk of Court's newly structured payment plan system.
Click below to download it.
Learn more about your right to an income-based payment plan through this pamphlet
Decriminalize Poverty! has been working towards reducing the financial burden associated with court debt in low income communities. They have advocated for our local Clerk of Court to restructure their payment plan system to best accommodate people experiencing the weight of unpaid court debts. With this new system in place, our local communities will be less likely to be criminalized for inability to pay, meaning fewer license suspensions and more financial mobility.
Click below to download their pamphlet or learn more via our webpage.
Decriminalize Poverty! Explained: Fines and Fees
Decriminalize Poverty! Explained is an online video series where the aspects of criminalized poverty and how it affects the world around us will be discussed. In her first video, Skyler discusses fines and fees in relation to civil and criminal court debt and payment plans.
Listen to Decriminalize Poverty!’s podcast episode “Debt Penalty” and hear from Sarah Couture of the Fines and Fees Justice Center and Decriminalize Poverty! fellow Kelly Lynch.
Sarah talks about her advocacy work and gives wonderful insight on the systemic burdening of Floridians with court debts and its impact. Kelly’s been impacted by fines and fees personally, she talks to us about her personal experience, how it impacted her life and recovery and our campaign's local efforts.
It is currently on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Arrest Support
When Your Loved One is Arrested in Florida: A Supportive Guide
“When Your Loved One is Arrested in Florida: A Supportive Guide” is a compassionate resource offering assistance through the process of having a friend or family member incarcerated in our state. It walks you through where to search for someone you know has been arrested, how to keep in contact with them, and most importantly, how to advocate for yourself!
Decriminalize Poverty! Explained: Arrest Support
Decriminalize Poverty Explained! is an online video series where the aspects of criminalized poverty and how it affects the world around us will be discussed. In this video, Skyler will be discussing how to best advocate and support a loved one who is inside.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE harsh realities of incarceration for loved ones THROUGH THIS BLOG POST
“Kids should not grow up with their parents locked away, no one should have a loved one forced away from them, and no one should be in a cage. No help comes from being stolen and alienated from your community, the people you care about, and any path towards healing and repair.”