United States v. Myers

Juvenile Law Center joined National Consumer Law Center and Federal Defenders of San Diego in their amicus brief in support of the Ninth Circuit granting en banc review in United States v. Myers, No. 23-1034, 2025 WL 1300439 (9th Cir. May 6, 2025). In Myers, the Ninth Circuit held that the federal government may garnish “the gradual accumulation of cash deposits from family and friends in an inmate’s trust account” for unpaid restitution. The amicus brief explains how the majority’s rule inflicts unnecessary, but wide-reaching, harms on incarcerated people and their families.

The amicus brief highlights that every year friends and family send incarcerated loved ones thousands of dollars to cover essential expenses, including food, toiletries, and phone calls. Incarcerated people also save money to ease reentry into their communities post-prison. Garnishing these funds leads to significant hardships for incarcerated people, prohibits rehabilitation, and creates more unsafe prison conditions.