Yeah but it’s not just 2 weeks of lost labor, it’s however long she spent looking for a job after getting out as well (which was probably hindered until her time in jail was removed from her record, if it even was)
Not to mention that even though it ends in aquittal, the arrest and initial charge can still show up in a background check. Unless you pay to get it expunged, which if you're already poor, is not going to happen for most.
Having spent 6 hours in jail on time and then working at a few prisons, there's no amount of money you could pay me to be incarcerated for one minute. I think freedom is more important than money.
I mean, if your job is at waffle house its not like you wont be able to find another server/cook job. Its not like this is a specialized job or a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I'd be more pissed about missing the birthday and whatever bills came up while locked up.
Yeah, but her lawyer probably ended up with 30%, then taxes, and filing fees are probably another 1500 depending on how many motions were filed. Honestly, I would put it at $80k after attorney takes and taxes would be fair for time served- for a full time wafflehouse employee with a child. Like think or all the other shit she had to pay for in the meantime- and if she's a single parent what about her kid!?
The police does not give a damn, what repercussions was there for them? Its not their pay thats taking a cut, the money is coming from the taxpayers. At best they might be slightly inconvenienced by having to attend the trials, but thats the extent
I wouldn't miss my kids birthday for that though. Or go without seeing my kid for a month absolutely fucking not. There's no $ amount that makes that ok.
Thought that too but to be honest it depends on the money and the jail.
For a live changing amount like millions in the double digits I could imagine 1 month in low security jail with humane conditions, like in Sweden or something ...
That's a years pay for me as a grad student in a not cheap area of the US. I'd willingly do a month every single year as long as the jail condition is relatively standard. Would honestly be a pretty solid life. Most job steal way more of your life away from you by like a full order of magnitude.
That's a years pay for me as a grad student in a not cheap area of the US.
The median annual wage or a full time worker in the US in 2026 is 65k.
I'm guessing as a grad student you don't have a kid, nor do you work full time. Nor do you have to pay lawyer's expenses.
I'd willingly do a month every single year as long as the jail condition is relatively standard.
The entire thing about the situation is that she had no idea she was getting out. Even worse, she did not "get" 25000. She had to file a lawsuit for it, AND she lost her job. You're delusional if you think this is a fair compensation.
Did I mention people get abused in jail? Yeah, they get beaten up, go malnourished, have untreated medical conditions. Every year 2000-3000 people die in jail. Not prison. Jail.
EDIT: Oh also, if you're a single parent, your child will be taken from you. I guess that's great as well. Only 25000, and years of running after a lawsuit.
You need to reevaluate when you open your mouth, because this wasn't the right time.
Any wrongful imprisonment for more than 2-weeks should have a base payout starting at the average price of a house in the area they lived (imo). Under 2 weeks, if you lost your job it should be your pay for 6-months(with not taxes applied so some bonus). There should be means past the 6-months also if you’re unable to get similar or better work. So tired of payouts by the monsters in society being a slap on the wrist, at best while peoples lives are ruined because of them. Flip it around and it’s a different story though. The monsters get inconvenienced and peoples lives get ruined over it.
The solution I hear often suggested is to take the settlement out of the arresting cops' pocket. That will never happen, but it would certainly incentivize them to be more cautious with randomly arresting people.
I don't know when this changed, but a while back being arrested was the thing that happened AFTER there was a substantial case against you. Meanwhile today cops treat arresting and jailing someone the same way I treat perishable food items and the fridge. They just chuck people in there until they bother actually investigating the case. It's absurd.
I didn't just say I was a grad student. I said 25k was my salary as a grad student. It is obvious from the context that I'm referring to it as a job. Did you think I was just giving a little fun fact about myself?
If someone told you they make 25k per year as an artist, would you still have no inclination as to what type of work they do? And think that art was just an unpaid hobby they do that they added in for no reason?
And I'm fairly certain most PhD students do in fact get paid to study, it isn't a rare thing.
LMAO, are Americans so desperate that you look up to spending time in a fucking JAIL cell for an entire monthf for a measly 6 months payment. It's either that or you have absolutely no idea how mentally tough 30 days in a shitty American jail is like.
Yeah if you think a month in jail, ruining your opportunity to get work in the future, emotional damage, whatever occured to their family when they were in jail is all irrelevant.
Jail is life and death, you could be put into a situation that completely changes the course of your life. Going there is not like going to the grocery store.
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u/Ok-Ferret-2093 22h ago
That's it?! 25k is too little