Recommended Archives - Page 7 of 30 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Trial Court Administrative Order 22-3: Elimination of Monthly Probation Fees Imposed Pursuant to G.L. c. 276, § 87A

Effective July 1, 2022, Massachusetts eliminated monthly probation supervision fees, administrative probation fees, and victim services surcharges. Monthly probation fees assessed after the effective date will be remitted and paid …

Surviving Austerity: Commissary Stores, Inequality and Punishment In The Contemporary American Prison

As mass incarceration exploded in the 1980s, so did fiscal austerity, leading to the use of monetary sanctions and user fees to shift the financial burden from taxpayers to those …

Taylor v. City of Saginaw

United States District Court, E.D. Michigan, Northern Division August 8, 2022 — Fed. 3d — 2022 WL 3160734 Case No. 1:17-cv-11067

U.S. Department of Justice Statement of Interest: Coleman v. Brookside, AL

On July 26, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Statement of Interest (SOI) in the case of Coleman v. Brookside, 2:22-cv-00423-RDP, pending in the U.S. District …

In Small-Town Georgia, A Broken Taillight Can Lead to Spiraling Debt

Georgia is one of the few states that criminalize traffic fines and allow localities to outsource misdemeanor probation supervision to private companies that are permitted to charge fees. This article …

The Costs of the Punishment Clause

The Punishment Clause in the Thirteenth Amendment, permits involuntary servitude so long as it is imposed pursuant to a criminal punishment. Originating as Black codes and convict leasing, these practices have …

Reimagining Restitution: New Approaches to Support Youth and Communities

Courts began ordering youth restitution in the 1960s as a less restrictive sanction than probation or incarceration for mostly white youth. Since then, restitution has been linked to higher recidivism …

Town Hall: Beyond Policing for Profit

This special report follows up on the January 2022 AL.com investigative report shedding light on Brookside’s police department’s aggressive ticketing and towing practices to raise revenue for the department and …

Revenue Over Public Safety

Economic and financial incentives for law enforcement, state, local and federal governments, and for-profit private corporations have fueled punitive enforcement and mass incarceration. This report details economic incentives that are …

Justice by Geography: The Role of Monetary Sanctions Across Communities

Although state statutes often dictate the amount of fines and fees imposed, local courts have significant discretion in how they carry out the laws and there is variation between courts …