Personal Narratives Archives - Page 4 of 13 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

The Price of Taxation By Citation: Case Studies of Three Georgia Cities The Rely Heavily on Fines and Fees

The concept of taxation by citation and its subsequent harms are dissected and analyzed in this Institute for Justice report. Through the profiling of three Georgia cities–Morrow, Riverdale, and Clarkston–the authors use traffic and ordinance violation data to suggest that these towns’ use of code enforcement power is geared towards revenue generation rather than public safety.

Personal Narrative: Tomia

Tomia, 42, of Rapid City, is on disability for a degenerative genetic condition and has custody of her 17-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum. She said her driver’s license has been suspended since 2017 because she owes the state $4,000.

Personal Narrative: Tracey

Despite Tracey's perfect driving record, her license was suspended for an unpaid ticket and toll violations incurred by her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Personal Narrative: Andria

Andria is a mother raising eight children in Oklahoma City, OK. She has been struggling with court debt and drivers’ license suspensions for over a decade.

Personal Narrative: Michael

Michael has been without a driver’s license since 2008. He was on a payment plan making payments on misdemeanor court fees he owed in Citrus County, Florida when an auto-draft of his checking account came one week early and Michael defaulted on his payment.

Personal Narrative: Joan

Joan is an Orlando, Florida resident whose license was suspended about six times between 2003 and 2017 for unpaid traffic tickets and court fees. Her most recent suspension from 2019 was due to lack of car insurance. Since many Florida courts do not grant payment plans, Joan has been burdened by late fees while struggling to pay her tickets to avoid having her license suspended.

Digital Jail: How Electronic Monitoring Drives Defendants Into Debt

This article describes the fundamental issues with electronic monitoring by private companies through the experience a St. Louis, Missouri resident.

Personal Narrative: Janet

Janet's license was suspended after her ex-partner incurred multiple toll violations and red light camera tickets while driving her car. She has been forced to spend money using ride-share services and to depend on her sister since she she can't afford to settle her debt and bring her license back in good standing.

Can’t Pay, Can’t Vote: A National Survey On The Modern Poll Tax

Felony convictions and court debt have become barriers to restoring voting rights for millions of people living in the U.S. This report provides a history of poll taxes and explains how felony disenfranchisement serves as a barrier perpetuating the same inequality-producing results: African-Americans and poor people lose the right to vote and struggle to regain voting rights at disproportionate rates.

Personal Narrative: Lance

Lance's New York driver's license was suspended in 1993 and remained suspended for the duration of his incarceration. The court costs and other fines and fees accrued during this time. After his release from prison in Pennsylvania, he moved home with his wife and together, the two of them worked to pay off the fines. Lance was only working minimum wage when he first came home, making an already arduous process that much slower and even more tedious.