on "america tonight", hundreds of thousands across the country ticketed to minor offenses are sentenced to probation managed by private companies. it's a vicious cycle of fine, fees and gaol time. also tonight - never before had the air force put a new fighter bomber at a commercial airport. they do that purposely because new aircraft crash more. >> the plane she's talking about is the f-35 fight are.

many residents see it as a real danger thanks for joining us, i'm joie chen. it's been celebrated for a supposed supersell capability, that has not been able to hide the f-35 fighter jet from a growing force of the critics, charging the pentagon most expensive weapons, at best a little more than a boon dog the and at worse a dangerous aircraft of the "america tonight" report concerns for pilot safety and mike viqueira follows up with forwards on the ground in community hosting the joint strike fighter. >> never before has the air force put a brand new fighter bomber at a commercial airport. usually they go to air force

bases in remote area, and do it purposely because new aircraft crash more. >> the plane she is talking about is the f-35 fighter. from the stealthy design to the millions of lines of computer code inside acting as an artificial intelligence, it's hailed as the future of combat aviation. many residents of this town see it as a very real danger. . >> the burlington airport is not suitable for the f-5, it's a commercial airport, not a military base, the people were here first. >> rowan is a leader of a group fighting to keep the f-35 out of her local airport in vermont.

national guard. and is scheduled to receive 18 f-35s by the year 2020. it will be the first air national guard unit in america to get the plane, replacing a unit of ageing f-16s. the burlington airports has hopes built up to the perimeter. there are town on both ends of the run way. north. people. >> i have been in the backyards of people that live here, it's astounding so see how low the planes are over their homes. you could recognise people in the cockpit. that is how low they are. >> to get a better sense of concerns. consider the record of the f-16. since its introduction, the u.s. air force lost more than 320 of

them in crashes and mishaps. out of a fleet of 2,230, that's one in seven if something happens with takeoff and landing of the f35s. it is probable that it will land in this area here. it's a recipe for a colossal disaster. and almost horrendous to think about. >> contrast burlington's airport with luke's air force base in arizona. the field surrounding acts as a buffer zone, a point reinforced in june 2013 when an f-16 went down outside the base. no one, including the pilots were injured. >> it's populated. because right over there. she is not just an activist, she was a colonel, a highly

decorated officers, specialised in intelligence and arms control. greco says the f35 poses a threat far greater than war fiers. like modern military planes, the f-35 is largely made of graphite. clues. >> if it doesn't land on top of them, there's a danger. smoke and the fumes that come off of the burning wreckage that is filled with chemicals, some of those are toxic. according to this engineering textbook on the flammability of composite materials, inhalingeing smoke from the burning can cause acute and delayed health problems and death. long-term health risks include cancers and tumours. the aircraft are typically covered with special membranes designed to absorb radar.

they are said to be highly toxic when burnt. in the 1980s, and '90s, several workers reported falling seriously ill after being exposed to what they say was burning stealth material. two of them are said to have died as a result. >> back in 2008/2009 i started to develop back problems. i had to remove the vertebrae, eventually, out of my back, from the cancer. >> reporter: jason is one of the few people in america that has aircraft. >> being brought up, it could have been from this, because they had a hard time identifying this form of cancer, to this day, it was unknown. >> in 1995 he was the leader of a search and rescue team. one night his team got a call.

witnesses had seen a huge fireball. witnesses assumed it was a plane survivors. >> normally we are told the type of plane, whether it's a private plane, what. >> and you didn't know how to protect yourself. >> no. >> reporter: when you were at the crash aspirator? >> no. >> you were just breathing the smoke. knowing what you know now, was it right to be at that site without a respirator? >> no, not at all. >> it would be weeks, the plane that crashed was an f-17a. it was a true stealth aircraft. the pilot was killed in the accident. all of this came out after a local newspaper reporter began

investigating. this says in the aftermath of the crash, the air force issued a barning that the snobbing from the burning -- smoke from the burning plane may have been toxic, do you remember that? >> i remember that coming out days later. >> reporter: it says that there was a paper delivered at n.a.s.a., an air force paper saying some materials that may have burnt posed health risks. depleted uranium, carbon graphite among others. no one said anything to you about that. >> no. letter. >> got a letter from a gentleman that was retired but worked on the stealth project. >> in the letter he talked about his own experience working on the development of the plane. >> correct, and having to be under protective hazmat suit, suits. >> as for his cancer.

he can't help but wonder if his exposure caused it. after reading the articles, he asked the air force for regular evaluations, but was denied. he said to this day the air force has not been forthcoming about the health effects. they believe that lack of transparency is a lesson and a warping for the residents. the air force at the moment is developing the operational playbook for the plane, not just how to ply the plane, but under specific circumstances. >> let me ask you this, is the community writing a playbook in regards to hazards and risks of bringing the plane in, and what the community needs to know and prepare for. >> where would you base a fighter bomber. >> rowan and her group are not waiting for that. they filed a petition in court

challenging the decision to base it in burlington. three weeks ago the council voted unanimously to join the lawsuit. we wanted to speak with someone, anyone, about the decision to base the f35 in burlington. the pentagon, the air force, air national guard, vermont senators and the mayor turned us down. as for greco, she is left fighting a military she served proudly for 30 years, afraid their expensive new weapon may spell disaster for her town. >> "america tonight"s sheila macvicar is with us. it seems clear from the community's stand point that the location makes burlington an unsuitable place for the aircraft. why would it be the choice, the first flays that the national guard -- place that the guard.

>> to be clear, not the entire community is complaining. some think it's a good idea. there has been some lobbying going on, and a lot of people are looking to vermont, powerful senators, senator patrick lay hi as someone who is lobbying hard, and for his home national guard. >> what is it clear what the deaners would be from the air -- dangers would be from the coding on the aircraft. crash? >> we know from one person who worked on developing the f1-17 a. that they were required to wear full body containment suits when they were working, when the plane was cold. it had not been in the air, was not involved in a crash, there was no fire. the pentagon is secretive about

the stealth holding, the composite and glues, but we know from some papers that there are problems, well documented problems with these materials when they burn. >> going back to your earlier report about the f-35. this is an aircraft that had a lot of turbulence in the development phase. the plane is going into initial capabilities for the u.s. marines, and everyone that we spoke to critical said it would be largely not a sham, but they'd get a plane not able to fly at the kinds of level required for combat flight. >> "america tonight"s sheila macvicar a look at other setbacks the f-35 faces as it reaches for the

sky now, at the website. why some critics see the aircraft as little more than a trillion dollar waste of money. potentially lethal to its pilots. that's at aljazeera.com/americatonight next, the common core of learning, and what some states are doing to dismantle it. later, a cycle of poverty penalty. >> digging holes, deeper and deeper. >> "america tonight"s sara hoy investigates privatized probation, and the high cost facing those trying to repair their mistakes. >> on hard earned, what would you do? >> the army is the last resort but i will do anything necessary for my family... >> when you're running out of choices... >> maybe i should become a nun... do nuns smoke? >> and your back's against the wall... >> i have a problem... i don't speak english... >> hard earned pride... hard earned respect...

hard earned future... a real look at the american dream hard earned only on al jazeera america >> part of our month long look at working in america. "hard earned".

in our fast-forward segments, complaint about the common core. if you have kids kinder gatten to 12th grade you'll know about it. what michael oku found in an increasing number of communities ground. >> reporter: mickey landry is the executive director of choice foundation. it runs this school in two others in new orleans. his staff trained for two years to implement the new standard, and landry is confident students will benefit. >> the students learn at a deeper academic level. >> reporter: in 2012 louisiana's

republican governor bobby jindal announced support for the common side. >> parents and kids should not be trapped in a failing school because of zipcode, gender or colour. but they did a 180, announcing they wanted to join other in rejecting the stared. >> at some point you say enough is enough. this is where we draw the line. >> how could be on the one hand in 2012 come to one of hour schools and declare that he was going to raise the standard and raise the rigor for curriculum, because that's what our children needed to compete in the world as adults. >> landy and others sued governor jindal to prevent him pulling out of the common core. the judge ruled in their favour. not ready to admit defeat, jindal fired suit against the

obama legislation, claiming it is forcing states to adopt the common core. at the center of the storm, student getting used to a new way of learning. the only question their teachers kapt answer is how long it will last fast-forward to signs more tasks. louisiana lawmakers looking at a bill. just this week tennessee decided to opt out of the common core. next, the price of freedom as more communities turn to privatized probation. even those that want to pay their debts to society can find hole. >> you don't have the money. i don't think by putting people in there, it will make them pay the money, do you know what i mean. it ain't going to help them sara hoy with a look at the high cost of the privatized probation. and a big bust on the great plains.

friday on "america tonight", north dakota saw its fortune soar with a rush of black gold. are the boom days ending and what toxic leftovers may stay behind. "america tonight"s christopher putzel on the outskirts of a community considering its environmental legacy - friday on "america tonight".

it is a way for communities to get more of the money they are owed from things like speeding tickets and violation, when private companies do the work of unpaid fine, the system can lead to abusive practices. we found evidence that privatisation prays on the pour this 55-year-old was estopped for a broken tail lict and ticketed for not having a valid licence.

he was put on probation when he couldn't pay. >> they put me an probation. >> reporter: he was toed to report here, the office of correctional services. the to-profit company has probation contracts request 100 courts across alabama. they collect fines for things like drunk-driving aring speeding or driving without a licence, at no cost to the tax payers, but charges the offenders $35 a month on top of the original fines. >> that's all i've been doing, deeper. >> reporter: mann was drowning in debt. thanks to jcs. the company found old fines he owed dating back to the '90s, including disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting arrest. >> i was a heavy drinker. >> reporter: now sober, married

and church going was making aringular payments to the city -- regular payments to the city. jcs added it on to the debt. >> is it illegal to do that? yes, it is. >> reporter: his attorney filed a class action lawsuit against jcs for preying on the poor. >> they pretend they are a probation service, instead they are not trained as probation office. it provide a collection service to the city. >> reporter: mann, unemployed and surviving off disability couldn't afterward the funs and service fees. arrest. >> i don't think they should do that to people. if they don't have the money you don't have the money. i don't think by putting people in gaol will make them pay the money. do you know what i mean.

>> mann says he was gaoled for 30 days for nonpayment. a second time heed jcs -- he said jcs told him to pay $600 by the end of the day. according to human rights watch. hundreds of thousands across the country are sentenced to probation managed by private companies. in alabama it's a vicious sign of fines, fees and gaol time. teresa's sons struggled to make jcs payments. >> they mail you notices saying you have to pay this much by gaol. they mail you postcards. it's a bombardment. they are bill collectors. >> reporter: john got a speeding ticket dismissed but owed court costs and jcs fees. >> this is wrong, it's a racket. they win regardless of what happened.

innocent tore guilty. >> elvis's neighbour loss more jcs receipts than he can count. and helen fell into debt when she was 16. >> august of last year i had a no seatbelt ticket. >> how much was it for? >> the ticket was $25, and court costs 16, which was 41, i didn't have the money, they put me on j c.t. probation. >> that cost hayley $300. she paid it off. she is back at town hall, saddled with a debt because her mother can't afford a tag for the family car. >> i have to drive the same car that has an expired tag. i have no way to fix it. therefore i've got three expired tag tickets, and i found out

today they are $186 a piece. >> i called it judiciary sanctioned extortion. >> the judge pr sided over a -- presided over a lawsuit against jcs calling it a practice. he called it a debtors system. >> it's a shake down of the individuals are told if you don't bring a payment, i'll put you in gaol. >> reporter: how is this legal? if i'm not mistaken, you are not allowed to put someone in gaol who owes a debt. >> that would be 100% correct. there's nothing legal about it. which is the basis of my opinion. in fact, i think i wrote something about the violations were too egregious and numerous to mention in this short space. that was absolutely correct. they were following none of the procedures set out by the

constitution, the state of alabama, the code of procedure. >> i'm robert mc-michael and i'm the chief executive officer. >> robert mc-michael declined our request, but wrote an op-ed saying jcs does not levy fees or fines, they are ordered by the court, adding they do not have the authority to gaol people, on the judge may do so. >> legally it's true. in practice, the individuals to whom they are exercising that authority don't know that they don't have authority. it appears to the individual to have the authority, and they use the apparent authority to the utmost, to coerce and threaten and extort. >> if i get a $100 fine or citation, i shouldn't be requirement to pay it.

>> a state sirens introduced legislation which he believes can serve a purpose. >> there's a role for it. there's a lot of ninize palties, they have no way in the world of collecting fines and fees. privatizing part of the fine, as long as there's a good proper government oversight. proper regulation, oversight would make it work better. >> attorney danny evans doesn't believe a for-profit company belongings in the probation business. >> when you try to put is profit motive and drive the probation officer based on dollars, the person's liberty is the least consideration. it's a system that's run amuck. >> after eight years on probation, six years beyond alabama's legal limit, thousands paid, elvis mann won his fight and fines dismissed. >> when they are dismissed, that was the happy yesterday of my life.

i felt relief. >> reporter: a small victory, mann and his lawyer hoped to build on. for the thousands of other caught in the cycle of debt and unable to dig themselves out and there are signs some communities are reconsidering the value of private collectors. two alabama towns decided to stop to-profit probation companies, the system little more that a path to debtors system. tell us who you think at aljazeera.com/americatonight. talk to us on twitter or facebook, and come back. we'll have more of "america tonight" >> tuesday. >> i thought we were doing something good. >> bodies donated for science... >> how much regulation exists? >> very little.

>> a shocking look inside the world of body brokers. >> got a call from the fbi saying we have your husband's remains. >> an america tonight exclusive investigation. tuesday, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. a boat fully migrants stranded off the coast i thailand with no country willing to take them in. hundreds more migrants make landfall in the indonesian province of a chicago after they were rescued by fishermen. report three army generals are arrested in connection with the attempted coup in burundi. president obama tries to reassure g.c.c. leaders about the p