Owing money is not a criminal act. In the U.S., debtors’ prisons were abolished in 1833. However, now with the economy in very poor shape and a very poor job market, we are starting to see people once again being arrested for their unpaid debts.  According to the Wall Street Journal, since 2010 judges have signed off on over 5,000 arrest warrants for individuals owing debt.   

As of last summer, student loans surpassed credit card debt as the largest consumer debt in the United States with at least one out of five defaulting.  Now as many young people face overwhelming student debt, high default rates, no bankruptcy protections for these loans, and the job market continues to shrink, many young people are asking, “Will student borrowers be arrested for being unable to pay?” 

News reports that on June 7, a SWAT team entered a family’s house very early in the morning under orders from the Department of Education has left many very upset and with more questions than answers.

Please take the time to sign this petition asking the Department of Education to issue a statement clarifying that defaulted borrowers cannot be arrested for their debts.  Borrowing money for college is not a crime and debtors’ prisons have long been outlawed.

A strong public statement in this case will go a long way.