SEE UPDATE AT END
If you've read John Wesley biographies, then you know that as a graduate student Wesley ministered to those in debtors' prison. That ministry took many forms including preaching, Bible study, offering the sacraments, prayer, and raising funds to secure a prisoner's release.
The US has its own form of debtors' prison, and as Wesleyans we can draw inspiration from our founder's example and work with organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center to protect people from excesses fines for minor violations.
Here's John Oliver's take on how excessive fines and fees are creating the contemporary equivalent of debtors' prison. CAUTION: Some may find Oliver's language offensive.
Last Week with John Oliver
Here's a link to the SPLC's work-- http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/splc-client-featured-on-last-week-tonight-segment-on-debtors-prisons
UPDATE April 1, 2015
Fair Debt Collection Practices
The Federal Trade Commission has information on its website about fair debt collection practices--
File a Complaint if you are being harassed by a debt collector
If your municipality has turned over your fine to a debt collection agency that then charges you exorbitant interest rates, court costs and legal fees, know that you are not alone. Unfortunately, many citizens are caught in the same situation. The injustice of this practice is galvanizing opposition against it, and calls for reform are growing louder. This is a systemic evil that keeps people trapped in poverty, not an individual failing on your part, and it requires a systemic reform through political action.
Efforts to reform municipal court debt collection practices in Missouri are already underway. For the sake of the least of these, I pray that these efforts will be successful and will set an example that the rest of the states follow.
The Rev. Laura Felleman of Omaha, Neb., is the author of The Form and Power of Religion: John Wesley on Methodist Vitality. She blogs at Methodist Doctrine, Spirit, Discipline.