Recommended Archives - Page 3 of 30 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Caution: We’re Driving the Wrong Way on Automated Traffic Enforcement

As jurisdictions grapple with growing concerns over traffic safety and the role of police officers in traffic enforcement, there has been a proliferation of automated traffic enforcement (ATE). ATE ecompasses …

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Can’t Afford an Attorney? Virginia Law Tells Poor People To Pay Anyway

The U.S. Constitution requires that the government ensures people can have an attorney if accused of criminal charges that can draw jail time. In Virginia, a defendant with a very …

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Locked Out: How DC Bans Workers with Unpaid Fines from More than 125 Jobs or Starting a Business, and What We Can Do About It

Under DC’s Clean Hands Law, residents can be automatically denied occupational and small business licenses if they owe the District more than $100 in unpaid fines, fees or taxes. This …

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Rosa v. Doe

Rosa v. Doe No. 21-2628, Nov. 20, 2023; WL 8009400 (2d Cir. 2023) Holding When assessing whether an incarcerated person qualifies for a waiver of filing fees in a federal …

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The Drive to Jail: Why States Should Decriminalize Minor Traffic Offenses and Stop Using Bench Warrants to Enforce Traffic Laws

Minor traffic offenses should not be considered crimes. Yet, in 17 states, these minor violations are considered misdemeanors that could lead to immediate arrest and jail time for things like …

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Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees

In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Office of Justice Programs, and Office for Access to Justice issued a revised Dear Colleague Letter, which detailed seven …

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The Ultimate Connecting Families Campaign Guide

Worth Rises is an advocacy organization working to dismantle the prison industry and end the exploitation of incarcerated people and their loved ones, and the lead organizer of the national …

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Forgotten But Not Gone: A Multi-State Analysis of Modern-Day Debt Imprisonment

The majority of states allow imprisonment as a direct result of failing to pay (FTP) court debt. This report presents findings from a three-state case study that sought to estimate the prevalence …

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The Government Revenue, Recidivism, and Financial Health Effects of Criminal Fines and Fees

Beginning January 1st, 2014, Wisconsin imposed a $200 surcharge on misdemeanor defendants found guilty in the Milwaukee Circuit Court. This paper examines the economic impact of the mandatory surcharge and its …

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Probation in Allegheny County

Although probation is seen as an alternative to incarceration, it has become a driver of incarceration. Forty percent of people in the Allegheny County Jail are incarcerated because of probation …

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