Individuals transferred to the MCU owed the county an average initial balance of $4,137.
Before the creation of the monetary collection unit (MCU) in 2012, individuals with outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs) from criminal cases faced a prolonged cycle of probation or parole supervision. Cases couldn’t be closed until all debts were fully paid, leaving many stuck in the system long after fulfilling other terms of their sentences. The MCU, a specialized unit within a county-level adult probation agency, changed this approach by transferring the responsibility of LFO collection from probation officers to dedicated staff. This shift allowed probation officers to focus on treatment and supervision. At the same time, the MCU oversaw debt repayment for individuals who had met all other conditions of their probation or parole. In this study, researchers examined the MCU’s approach to managing and collecting monetary sanctions, analyzing demographic patterns in debt amounts, enforcement actions, and the broader implications of different debt collection methods. The study compared the MCU model to probation officer-led collections, which divert focus from supervision duties, and third-party collections, which alleviate officer workloads, but often impose additional fees and high interest rates on individuals. The study highlighted the MCU’s benefits, including its capacity to reduce the burdens on probation officers and streamline the collection process without exacerbating financial penalties and penalties for nonpayment. The report also noted the MCU’s limitations and stressed the need for more research and reform, concluding with a strong recommendation: eliminate supervision fees.
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Key Findings:
- Individuals transferred to the MCU owed the county an average initial balance of $4,137 (with a median of $1,598).
- The average debt per case (or docket) was slightly over $3,000, with a median of $1,066.
- Most individuals (72 percent) agreed to pay $50 or less monthly and over a third (35 percent) committed to $25 or less.
- While non-white individuals did not have significantly higher initial balances than white individuals, they carried higher current debt, suggesting greater challenges in paying their obligations.
- Based on these payment agreements, it would take MCU participants an average of 10 years (median of 3.8 years) to fully pay off their initial balances.
Recommendations:
- Abolish or implement waivers of fees associated with supervision.