“Florida’s ‘Pay-to-Stay’ Law: A Lifelong Financial Burden for Former Inmates”
Upon release from prison, many face a hidden hardship: Florida’s “pay-to-stay” law. This policy charges ex-inmates $50 a day for their prison stay, even if released early, regardless of financial ability.
Critics deem it unconstitutional, while individuals like Shelby Hoffman, striving for redemption, feel trapped. Hoffman, a clinical staff member at Tampa General Hospital Crystal River, dreams of case management but is thwarted by a $127,000 debt from her incarceration.
Despite qualifications, she’s deemed ineligible for certain jobs due to this debt, highlighting the injustice of a system that hinders second chances with financial barriers.
