How one state's repeal of a prison 'paytostay' law could guide national reform

Dec 18, 2024

Nearly every state requires incarcerated individuals to pay for room, board and basic services under so-called "pay-to-stay" laws. In 2019, Illinois became one of the first to repeal such a law—a move that prompted Brittany Friedman, assistant professor of sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, to investigate what made that repeal possible.