Let’s say you’ve been arrested for something minor, like misdemeanor trespassing. Odds are that you’ll plead guilty; that’s what court data indicate. And in this hypothetical situation, we’ll say that you’re able to come up with the money to pay the fine. You figure this alleged transgression is behind you and now you can move on with your life.

But not so fast. Even pleading guilty to a misdemeanor can come with some other penalties, some of which linger for a long, long time. These are called collateral consequences, and they're the focus of this episode of We Live Here.

According to research by the American Bar Association (ABA), between state and federal laws there are more than 46,000 collateral consequences in America.

“If you have an individual who has previously abused children or the elderly, I don’t think that many people would argue that it’s unreasonable for us to say that individual should never work in a daycare center or never work caring for the elderly," said Lucian Dervan, an associate professor of law and director of faculty development at Southern Illinois University School of Law.

The problem, Dervan said, is that many long-term consequences for breaking the law treat all crimes the same. So it doesn't matter if you were charged with driving without a license or for trafficking drugs, you’d still face some of the same penalties.

“It can affect social services, employment, licenses you might have for your employment, your housing opportunities, student loans, parental rights, immigration status, volunteer opportunities. The list really goes on and on,” Dervan said.

For poor people, these extra penalties can make breaking the cycle of poverty that much harder. So, on this episode we take a look at how a debt to society can come with interest.