National Archives - Page 4 of 21 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

The Impact of Criminal Financial Sanctions: A Multi-State Analysis of Survey and Administrative Data

This multi-state study assesses outcomes related to recidivism, employment, expenditures, mental well-being, and household spillovers. Researchers specifically analyzed how increasing the dollar amount of financial obligations imposed upon conviction across …

Poverty Penalties as Human Rights Problems

Financial sanctions have led to widespread poverty penalties on low-income and vulnerable populations and are a domestic and international human rights concern. States disproportionately punish poor defendants when fines for …

Debt Sentence: How Fines And Fees Hurt Working Families

This report shares the results of a national survey of over 5,600 adults to see how court-imposed fines and fees affect people across the country.

People Over Profits: A Truly Free, No Cost Tablet Program for Incarcerated People in San Francisco

Tablets are often utilized in jails and prisons to generate revenue from incarcerated individuals and their families, with high costs for the tablets and access to services making them unaffordable …

National Guide to Court Appearances

Missed court appearances are costly for both court systems and court users. Court users and their families may be assessed fines, arrested or serve jail time, while the system pays …

Why Inflation Price Hikes Are Even Worse Behind Bars

The Marshall Project reviewed commissary prices from 26 state prison departments in 2022, finding that prices for food and hygiene products have soared across prisons due to the lack of …

Revenue, Race, and the Potential Unintended Consequences of Traffic Enforcement Reform

Highly publicized killings of people by law enforcement during traffic stops have led to a growing interest in traffic enforcement reform. While some see automated traffic enforcement and unarmed civilian …

United States Department of Justice “Dear Colleague” Letter (revised and updated)

On April 20, 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Office of Justice Programs, and Office for Access to Justice revised the 2016 Dear Colleague to include an updated discussion …

America’s Dystopian Incarceration System of Pay to Stay Behind Bars

As the number of people sentenced to terms of incarceration in jails and prisons rose, government agencies found themselves unable to pay the costs. To offset the costs, policymakers and …

How Fines and Fees Impact Families: Can Policies like the Child Tax Credit Help?

Low-income families burdened by court-imposed financial penalties often turn to high cost predatory services or forgo basic needs to avoid further legal consequences for nonpayment. In 2021, the Child Tax …