In the red
ny mention of debtors’ prisons immediately makes me think of Charles Dickens. His father’s incarceration devastated the family – a humiliation later. But, as Alexander Wakelam explained on the podcast, Dickens’ experience was far from unusual. In fact, imprisonment for unpaid bills was a common part of life in a society built almost entirely on credit. But was the archaic system actually successful in reclaiming funds and deterring debtors? You’ll have to listen to find out.
