Massachusetts Archives - 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 …

MA HD2885: An Act to eliminate debt-based incarceration and suspensions

This bill eliminates debt-based incarceration and license suspensions for reasons not related to safe driving. The bill also creates a process for judges to reduce fines and fees if a …

Suffolk County District Attorney Declines to Prosecute Low Level Offenses

The Suffolk County District Attorney implemented a policy of presumptively dismissing, or diverting and treating as a civil infraction, certain charges including operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked …

MA H.3453: An Act to Eliminate Debt-Based Incarceration and Suspensions

The Massachusetts legislature introduced a bill to eliminate debt-based incarceration and license suspensions for reasons not related to safe driving including failure to pay indigent counsel fees or parking tickets. The …

Massachusetts Senate Bill 2371: Relative to Criminal Justice Reform

Massachusetts Senate Bill 2371, which passed in 2018, protects people from being incarcerated for their inability to pay or for nonpayment of fines and fees, prohibits indigent defendants from being charged for counsel, and allows for court-ordered monetary sanctions to be adjusted or waived.

Punishing Poverty: The high cost of probation fees in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ probation fees disproportionately impact low-income communities and make it harder for people to succeed. People who can least afford additional fees are more likely to be on probation and …

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rule 3:10: Assignment of Counsel

This court rule establishes new procedures for Massachusetts courts to determine defendants’ ability to pay and for courts to assess fees for public counsel based on that determination.

Political Economy at Any Speed: What Determines Traffic Citations?

Using data from traffic stops in 350 Massachusetts municipalities, the authors found that “the likelihood and dollar amounts of fines are decreasing functions of local property tax revenue”—in other words, the more cash-strapped a municipality is, the more likely police officers are to issue traffic tickets (and larger traffic tickets).