Southern Poverty Law Center

José’s story shows why change is so urgent.

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José’s story shows why we must advocate for justice — and how powerful your support can be.

No one should ever go to jail for being poor. But that is the cruel reality too many Americans are facing — people like José Young, a veteran living on disability payments, who was charged with theft of services for falling behind on his sewage and trash collection bill in Chickasaw, Alabama.

Once a factory worker who assembled transmissions for Ford Motor Co., José lost his leg in a car accident and was unable to work. That’s when he began struggling to catch up on bills.

For someone who had made a conscious effort his entire life to stay on the right side of the law, the thought of having a criminal record was humiliating, especially when Alabama has a law that exempts people surviving on disability payments from trash collection fees.

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“So even in court, right after being brought in, you either pay it all or you go to jail, right? That really had me worried.” — José Young

✊ When the Southern Poverty Law Center intervened, raising constitutional concerns about these unfair practices in a letter, the city of Chickasaw agreed to dismiss Young’s charges — and he, along with other residents, would no longer face the prospect of a criminal record for falling behind on garbage bills. ✊

José and those in his community facing similar fates deserved better. We know you agree.

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That’s why the Southern Poverty Law Center is working around the clock — using the power of legislative advocacy, legal action and grassroots organizing — to dismantle these systemic failures, so people like José can live with dignity and get the justice they are rightfully owed.

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Thank you for standing up for justice,

The Southern Poverty Law Center

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The Southern Poverty Law Center

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Montgomery, AL 36104

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