Recommended Archives - Page 22 of 30 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Mississippi HB 1352: The Criminal Justice Reform Act [Ends driver’s license suspension for unpaid fines and fees, failure to appear]

The bill provides that when a person fails to pay their fines and fees (whether for traffic, misdemeanor, or felony offenses), a clerk will provide written notice advising that failure to pay within the following 90 days will result in the court pursuing collection of the debt. Before this law was passed, courts suspended driver’s licenses for nonpayment.

Commercialized (In)justice: Consumer Abuses in the Bail and Corrections Industry

This report examines two concerning trends: the increasing use of fines and fees to fund the criminal legal system, and functions of that system being outsourced to private companies who profit from the criminal legal system.

Nevada Assembly Bill 439: Abolishes juvenile fees.

Nevada Assembly Bill 439 abolishes a wide variety of fees associated with juvenile courts in Nevada, instead providing that relevant services and facilities should be funded through federal, state, or county budgets.

Towed Into Debt: How Towing Practices in California Punish Poor People

This report shows the circumstances that lead to a person having their car towed and the consequences that follow in different counties across California.

A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States

To assess racial disparities in police interactions with the public, researchers compiled and analyzed a dataset detailing nearly 100 million municipal and state patrol traffic stops conducted in dozens of jurisdictions across the country.

Texas House Bill 2048: Repeal of the Driver Responsibility Program.

This bill repeals the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) and all associated fees. The DRP contributed significantly to driver’s license suspension for unpaid fines and fees in Texas.

Timbs v. Indiana

Petitioner used life insurance proceeds to purchase a Land Rover for $41,558.30. He used the vehicle to transport heroin worth a total of $385. He was arrested and his vehicle was seized. Petitioner argued that the forfeiture was excessive in violation of the Eight Amendment’s excessive fines clause.

Maryland Senate Bill 823: Juvenile Proceedings – Fines, Fees, and Costs.

Maryland SB 823 would eliminate juvenile justice system fines and fees. Specifically, the bill would eliminate court fees and support costs for the detention and/or treatment of youth, and abolish fines imposed on youth and their families.

State of Phone Justice: Local jails, state prisons and private phone providers

This policy brief from the Prison Policy Initiative provides an overview of prison and jail phone call fees and makes several recommendations to reform them.

(Color)blind Reform: How ability-to-pay determinations are inadequate to transform a racialized system of penal debt

This law review article argues that fines and fees reformers’ emphasis on instituting ability-to-pay determinations without any reductions in racially discriminatory ticketing may cause more harm than good. In particular, the author articulates a concern that ability-to-pay determinations risk legitimizing the existing system of monetary sanctions and entrenching damages inflicted upon people deemed ‘able to pay.’