John Pfaff was quoted in the Washington Post’s Wonkblog about the effect on defendants of detainment in jail, even for short periods.
Even a few days in jail can be devastating. A student who misses a few classes because she’s behind bars might have to drop out for a semester, and a busboy who misses just one shift might lose his job.
“We probably underestimate intuitively the impacts of these very short stints,” said John Pfaff, a law professor at Fordham University.