Public Hearing on Illinois “Debtor” Prisons

Before the holidays I shared this disturbing story of Illinois citizens being jailed for unpaid debts.

In most states the wheels of justice move at “government speed,” taking far too long to get wrongs, like this one, righted. This is not the case in Illinois.

In fact, tomorrow, I have accepted an invitation from The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to testify at a public hearing on “debtors’ prisons.”  They are holding this hearing to work towards finding a solution to the practice of incarcerating debtors who fail to appear in court or who have violated a court order.

It’s encouraging to see public officials like Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, (@LisaMadigan2010) who are willing to bring unfortunate and embarrassing situations like this to the public’s attention. It would be much easier to ignore and sweep under the rug. It’s obvious  that her reputation as one of the most pro-consumer Attorney Generals in the U.S. is well earned.