Dix also joined a growing movement to improve conditions in prisons. Men, women, and children were often crammed together in cold, damp rooms. When food supplies were low, prisoners went hungry- unless they had money to buy meals from jailers.
Five out of six people in northern jails were debtors, or people who could not pay more money they owed l. While behind bars, debtors has no way to earn money to pay back their debts. As a result, many debtors remained in prison for years.
Used the passage to answer the question.
Based on this excerpt from the text, how did the jailing of the debtors hurt their chances of repaying their debts?