Alabama court to poor offenders: Give blood or go to jail

The last year has seen increased scrutiny of policing for profit as part of a larger criminal justice reform debate, but policing for blood is a new one.

In Perry County, Alabama, offenders who couldn't afford to pay a fine at the local court house were presented with two options: Go to jail or give blood and get a $100 fine credit. In a recording of court proceedings obtained by The New York Times, Judge Marvin Wiggins announces that "there's a blood drive outside," and for those who can't afford to pay up and don't want to give blood, "the sheriff has enough handcuffs."

Carl Crocker, who made the recording, said he saw one elderly man faint after opting to donate blood to avoid jail. "It's just wrong for them to utilize people who are in the court system and essentially extort blood out of you because you owe traffic tickets, misdemeanors, felonies, whatever you're there for," Crocker said.

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The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) agrees and filed an ethics complaint against Judge Wiggins, alleging that the blood donation scheme is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the blood that was collected at court was mostly discarded thanks to improper screening, and several of those who donated claim they did not receive the promised $100 credit.