Pandemic lays bare North Carolina’s reliance on fines and fees
This report discusses the growth of fee revenue in North Carolina and how the pandemic has exposed pre-existing issues concerning the use of fine and fee revenue.
Probation and Monetary Sanctions in Georgia: Evidence from a Multi-Method Study
This article analyzes how monetary sanctions and probation supervision intersect in Georgia. Using data and interviews, gathered between 2015 and 2018, the authors find substantial variation between jurisdictions in the …
Court Costs, Fines, And Fees Are Bad Policy- Recommendations For Illinois Legislators
This policy brief discusses the history and issues of court fines and fees nationally and specifically in Illinois.
Who Must Pay to Regain the Vote? A 50-State Survey
This report analyzes state voting laws to show how fines and fees are used to determine if a person can regain the right to vote after getting convicted of a felony.
Overdue for Justice: An Assessment of Access to and Quality of Juvenile Defense Counsel in Michigan
Michigan’s constitution mandates that every young person receive legal representation, yet the state currently ranks 44th out of 50 in per capita indigent defense spending. The National Juvenile Defender Center …
Escaping the Long Arm of the Law? Racial Disparities in the Effect of Failure-to- Pay License Suspension
This paper studies the unintended consequences of suspending driver’s licenses for failure to pay by examining the effect of suspension on the likelihood of receiving future tickets. Researchers followed defendants …
Paying on Probation: How Financial Sanctions Intersect with Probation to Target, Trap, and Punish People Who Cannot Pay
This report shows how payment of fines and fees and supervision costs can affect a person's ability to complete their probation sentence.
Privatization of Services in the Criminal Justice System
Privatization throughout the justice system has exacerbated the cycle of mandatory fees, nonpayment, and consequent additional fees. Private companies, often with little to no oversight, can have economic incentives to …
Day Fines Systems: Lessons from Global Practice
Many European countries use day fines as an alternative to short-term incarceration. With day fines, fines are proportional to a defendant’s income, allowing for higher fines for wealthy offenders and …
Overdue for Justice: An Assessment of Access to and Quality of Juvenile Defense Counsel in Michigan
This report discusses the experience of youth involved in Michigan's juvenile justice system, including access and quality of representation, funding, and oversight of courts.