Friend –

People leaving jail are often struggling to get their lives back in order, including coping with financial problems. The last thing they need is to get hit with unlawful fees.

But in Black Hawk County, the sheriff's department has been forcing people to agree to pay for their room, board, and other fees, and give up their legal right to contest those costs in court, before releasing them from jail.

And instead of actually covering those costs, or going into a county general fund, that money is being used to fund a shooting range for the enjoyment of department employees and families, including rentals of ice cream and cotton candy machines and laser tag.

Our client, Leticia Roberts of Waterloo, is now trying to pay back $730 to the sheriff's department. But she's on a limited income and even feeding her three young children is hard.

So we have filed a federal class action lawsuit with Public Justice, Fredrikson & Byron, PA, and Frerichs Law Office to stop this heartless practice and get damages for those who have already had their rights violated.

Find out more on our website.

With gratitude,

Mark Stringer
Executive Director, ACLU of Iowa