Who Must Pay to Regain the Vote? A 50-State Survey (Update)
This report is an updated review of each U.S. state’s voting rights laws as they relate to payment of court fines, fees, and restitution.
Considering the Process of Debt Collection in Community Corrections: The Case of the Monetary Compliance Unit
Before the creation of the monetary collection unit (MCU) in 2012, individuals with outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs) from criminal cases faced a prolonged cycle of probation or parole supervision. …
The Price of Justice: Fines, Fees and the Criminalization of Poverty in the United States
Mass incarceration and the rising cost of the justice system correlate with the high number and value of fines and fees imposed throughout the justice system. As federal funding for …
Unveiling the Necrocapitalist Dimensions of the Shadow Carceral State: On Pay-to-Stay to Recoup the Cost of Incarceration
States and local jurisdictions across the United States impose pay-to-stay fees to generate revenue. Sociologist Brittany Friedman analyzes this practice using a necrocapitalism framework—a form of capitalism linked to death …
Beyond Graduation: Economic Sanctions and Structural Reform
As jurisdictions become more aware of the negative consequences of imposing unmanageable financial sanctions, there has been an increase in the number of jurisdictions that are implementing or adopting graduated …
The Relationship Between Debt and Crime: A Systematic and Scoping Review
In a first of its kind, this study explores the relationship between debt and crime among adolescents and adults. The two-part study includes a systematic review of five studies that …
Who Does America Want?
This paper details the fines and fees imposed on people for traffic offenses in Connecticut, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, and immigration-related fees imposed on people seeking citizenship in the US.
Behavioral Nudges Reduce Failure to Appear for Court
In two large field studies, the authors evaluate interventions to make defendants more aware of court information. In the first, the summons was redesigned to move court information to the …
Pocketbook Policing: How race shapes municipal reliance on punitive fines and fees in the Chicago suburbs
Using data from Chicagoland's suburbs, the authors explain why Black suburban municipalities are driven to rely on fines and fees to address budget shortfalls unlike officials of suburbs with different racial make-ups.
Misaligned incentives and the scale of incarceration in the United States
In 1996, California passed the California Juvenile Justice Realignment bill (SB 681) which made counties responsible for a higher cost to incarcerate youths in California Youth Authority (CYA) facilities. Data …