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August 31, 2016

Arkansas: Woman Spends 35 Days in Jail for Bouncing $29 Check
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In Arkansas, a mother has been released after spending 35 days in a
county jail after she accidentally bounced a $29 check five years ago.
Nikki Petree was sentenced to jail last month by a judge accused of
running a debtors' prison. Petree had already been arrested at least
seven times over the bounced check, and paid at least $600 in court
fines-more than 20 times more than the original debt. Petree said,
"Every time I go to jail, they'd let me out immediately for $100. They'd
turn around and add $600 or $700 more to my bond. I couldn't afford to
pay. They cornered me, and there was no way out from underneath it. I
felt overwhelmed and hopeless."


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