USA

Five Years After Ferguson, States Rein in Punishment of the Poor

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Criminal justice activists have long complained that in the United States, routine traffic violations can turn poor people into criminals. The inability to pay fines leads to more fines and penalties, often turning communities against law enforcement. In Ferguson, Missouri, the unrelated shooting death of an unarmed black man five years ago led the community and the police to reassess these practices, sparking a national conversation. Masood Farivar reports.