Philadelphia’s criminal justice fines and fees fall hardest on poorest neighborhoods

The Fairhill neighborhood of North Philadelphia has a high concentration of criminal justice fines. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images When people think about criminal justice punishment, they might picture a prison cell or a crew picking up roadside trash to fulfill community service hours. But for millions of Americans, another penalty quietly follows them for years after they have served their time: debt. Known as legal financial obligations, or criminal justice debt, these…