Research Archives - Page 4 of 38 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Community Supervision Part 1: Fees and Fines

Financial penalties can serve as a barrier to successful rehabilitation and reentry. In addition to fines and restitution, probationers and parolees can be assessed supervision fees, court fees, technology fees, …

The Burden of Court Debt on Washingtonians

The majority of Washingtonians assessed legal financial obligations (LFOs) meet state indigency standards, and their low payment rates suggest their debts are uncollectible. In Washington, the inability to pay criminal …

Policy Blueprint For Ending Carceral Profiteering

Each year, over 4,000 private corporations generate $80 billion by exploiting incarcerated people’s need to stay in contact with their loved ones and access medical care, quality food, and hygiene …

Assessments and Surcharges: A 50-State Survey of Supplemental Fees

Examining statutes and rules from all 50 states and D.C, this new report uncovers a system of hidden taxes that are assessed in nearly every criminal, traffic or local ordinance …

High-Frequency Location Data Shows That Race Affects The Likelihood of Being Stopped and Fined For Speeding

Prior research on race, speeding, and citations has focused on the effects of a driver’s race on the punishment received, never exploring whether race could also influence the probability of …

Regressive Revenue Perpetuates Poverty: Why Georgia’s Fines and Fees Need Immediate Reform

More than 300 localities in Georgia use revenue from fines and fees to balance their budgets, and 20 percent do so at rates researchers consider high and abusive. Georgians who …

2022 Final Report to the Governor, Legislature, and Supreme Court

Recommendations by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to decrease Michigan’s jail population led to the establishment of the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council (JRAC). JRAC …

Increasing Justice In New York: How New York Could Go From Failing to First in the Nation on the Fines and Fees Justice Index

With dozens of fees and fines at every stage of the legal system, New York has created a two-tiered justice system that engulfs low-income people in the criminal legal system. …

State Of Phone Justice 2022: The Problem, The Progress, and What’s Next

As a result of actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and efforts at the state and local level, prison and jail phone call fees have steadily reduced over the …

Legal Financial Obligations in Washington State: Final Report

Washington state code refers to 376 unique criminal legal financial obligations (LFOs) that stem from misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, or felony convictions. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) used …