Media Archives - Page 6 of 8 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Personal Narrative: Teon

Teon, a mother of six, lived in Montgomery, Alabama. In 2018, she was pulled over because one of her tail lights was out. When the officer came back after running her driver’s license through the database, the officer told her that her license had been suspended for about three months by that time because of unpaid tickets.

Davidson County District Attorney declines to prosecute driving on a suspended license where underlying suspension is for unpaid fines and fees

In Tennessee, Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk announced that he will stop prosecuting driver's license violations that result from failure to pay fines and fees, such as driving on a suspended license. His office predicts that this policy change could keep 12,000 charges out of Nashville courtrooms over the next year.

Texas prison system reduces cost of phone calls by 77 percent

During the summer of 2018, the Texas Board of Criminal Justice voted to reduce the price of phone calls made from Texas prisons. Previously, incarcerated people paid an average of $0.26 per minute to call their loved ones; now the rate is $0.06 per minute, and the time limit for calls was increased from 20 to 30 minutes.

How Fines and Fees Criminalize Poverty: Explained

Fines and fees are levied at every stage of the criminal justice system. People who are poor and unable to pay them are criminalized and face many collateral consequences in …

Why journalists should cover local jails

In this article for The Poynter Institute, Al Tompkins underscores the importance of journalists covering local jails and suggests several coverage angles that journalists can use to convince readers to care more about incarceration at the local level.

Hate speed traps and tickets? These people are fighting back.

Doraville, Georgia, a 10,000-person suburb of Atlanta, has become notorious for its revenue-generating speed traps and housing code enforcement cases.

Why does the US still have ‘debtors’ prisons’?

This video describes how people, especially those of fewer means, can be jailed for unpaid court fines and fees.

How Chicago Ticket Debt Sends Black Motorists Into Bankruptcy

Filing for bankruptcy to avoid car impoundments and or a boot that immobilizes their vehicle has become a popular “remedy” for Chicago drivers who can’t afford to pay off debt from traffic tickets, parking violations, and vehicle compliance infractions.

A Debtor’s Prison: Court fees and minor fines are leading to debilitating cycles of incarceration in the US

This short documentary film tells the story of two St. Louis women who were unjustly incarcerated because of failure to pay their fines and fees.

How Prosecutors Score a Windfall Turning Small Tickets into Big Fees

Since 2010, dozens of cities in California have hired a private law firm to prosecute people on the city’s behalf for municipal code violation and in civil forfeiture cases.