Feb 9 (Reuters) – Ferguson, Missouri and a second St. Louis suburb are being accused in separate lawsuits of operating a “debtors’ prison scheme,” illegally jailing poor people who are unable to pay traffic tickets or fines tied to other minor offenses.
The lawsuits, filed on Sunday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis by 20 black residents, allege that officials in Ferguson and neighboring Jennings have routinely been abusing and exploiting impoverished individuals to boost city revenues. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for the cases.
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“This lawsuit is disturbing because it contains allegations that are not based on objective facts,” Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III said in a statement.
Officials from Jennings did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City; Editing by Will Dunham and David Gregorio)
