The U.S. Justice Department says that issuing large fines and putting poor people in prison for not paying them is illegal. The law enforcement agency said putting people in jail or prison for not paying fines is unconstitutional. It damages trust in communities and local governments, it said. The Justice Department warning came after a conference in Washington in December. It revealed that some communities relied on fines as a source of revenue. The government found that fines and jailing happened frequently in Ferguson, Missouri. The small community near St. Louis was the center of attention in 2014. That year, street protests occurred after a policeman shot a black teenager to death. It was reported by multiple media sources that Ferguson’s court fines account for 20 percent of the city’s revenue. Fines were enforced for minor crimes like littering and speeding. Fines would reach over $500.
Title: US Warns Against Fines on Poor People
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/fine_audio.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US Warns Against Fines on Poor People' data-article-id='1367'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12229'>The U.S. Justice Department says that issuing large fines and putting poor people in prison for not paying them is illegal.</span> <span data-start-time='12229' data-end-time='22313'>The law enforcement agency said putting people in jail or prison for not paying fines is unconstitutional. </span> <span data-start-time='22313' data-end-time='28188'>It damages trust in communities and local governments, it said.</span> <span data-start-time='28188' data-end-time='34083'>The Justice Department warning came after a conference in Washington in December. </span> <span data-start-time='34083' data-end-time='41729'>It revealed that some communities relied on fines as a source of revenue.</span> <span data-start-time='41729' data-end-time='49083'>The government found that fines and jailing happened frequently in Ferguson, Missouri. </span> <span data-start-time='49083' data-end-time='55604'>The small community near St. Louis was the center of attention in 2014. </span> <span data-start-time='55604' data-end-time='63479'>That year, street protests occurred after a policeman shot a black teenager to death. </span> <span data-start-time='63479' data-end-time='73354'>It was reported by multiple media sources that Ferguson’s court fines account for 20 percent of the city’s revenue. </span> <span data-start-time='73354' data-end-time='79354'>Fines were enforced for minor crimes like littering and speeding. </span> <span data-start-time='79354' data-end-time='83146'>Fines would reach over $500.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/poor_img.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=5677 data-hint-location='34083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/what_does_relied_mean.m4a'>What does relied mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to depend on someone or something'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/a_public_place.m4a'><span>a public place</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/money_that_is_collected.m4a'><span>money that is collected</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/to_depend_on_someone_or_something.m4a'><span>to depend on someone or something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/something_that_happens_as_a_result.m4a'><span>something that happens as a result</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=5678 data-hint-location='41729' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/where_do_fines_and_jailing_happen_often.m4a'>Where do fines and jailing happen often?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Ferguson'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/flint.m4a'><span>Flint</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/ferguson.m4a'><span>Ferguson</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/san_francisco.m4a'><span>San Francisco</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/manhattan.m4a'><span>Manhattan</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=5679 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/the_justice_department_says_jailing_people_for_not_paying__blank__is_illegal.m4a'>The Justice Department says jailing people for not paying <span class='blank'>fines</span> is illegal.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='fines'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/fines.m4a'><span>fines</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/taxes.m4a'><span>taxes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/rent.m4a'><span>rent</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/936/checks.m4a'><span>checks</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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