Why do criminal justice systems treat poor and wealthy people so differently?

This isn't accidental—it's structural. A wealthy person arrested has immediate access to a private attorney, can afford bail, can take time off work for court dates, and can pay for investigators and expert witnesses. A poor person cycles through overworked public defenders, sits in jail awaiting trial (sometimes for months), loses their job, and has no resources to challenge evidence. The outcome isn't determined by the crime; it's determined by the wallet. Sor Juana understood this centuries ago—she saw how access to education, information, and resources determined who could claim intellectual authority and who was silenced. Criminal justice mirrors that same inequality. A study after study shows sentencing disparities: same crime, different race and class, vastly different sentences. Bail systems disproportionately trap poor people. Fines become de facto criminalizing of poverty. This matters because it means systemic change requires addressing poverty itself, not just tweaking procedures. If you're navigating this: know that injustice you experience isn't personal failure. Advocate for bail reform, public defender funding, sentencing equity. Push for alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenses. The system won't fix itself.