Oklahoma Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Eliminate justice-related fees and invest in Oklahoma’s justice system

Oklahoma’s reliance on court-imposed fines and fees as a funding mechanism for its criminal justice system disproportionately harms justice-involved individuals, especially those with low incomes. This approach places a significant …

Court Debt Collection Service Subject to Controversy

Debt collection agencies are prohibited by federal law from threatening arrest because of non-payment. In Oklahoma, seven plaintiffs in a class-action suit are challenging the debt collection practices of Aberdeen …

Forgotten But Not Gone: A Multi-State Analysis of Modern-Day Debt Imprisonment

The majority of states allow imprisonment as a direct result of failing to pay (FTP) court debt. This report presents findings from a three-state case study that sought to estimate the prevalence …

Turning the Page: Oklahoma’s Criminal Justice Reform Story

After being named the state with the highest incarceration rate in 2016, Oklahoma made intentional policy changes, reducing its prison population by 21 percent. This report chronicles the progress made …

OKC Municipal Court Programs Provide Real Alternatives To Incarceration

Oklahoma City has taken a holistic approach to removing barriers to progress for people in Oklahoma City that have been criminalized due to their poverty and homelessness. Through a collection …

Oklahoma SB 1458

Oklahoma introduced a bill that if passed would eliminate certain executive agency fees. Key Provisions: Eliminates the additional fee charged to any person convicted of an offense punishable by a …

Criminalizing Poverty: The Consequences of Court Fees in a Randomized Experiment

Using a randomized controlled trial of court related fee relief for misdemeanor defendants, the authors tested the hypothesis that financial obligations criminalize poverty and later court involvement results from an …

The Demand for Money Behind Many Traffic Stops

Cities and towns, often those with weakened tax bases or that are barred from easily raising revenue, use fines and fees to raise revenue. Over 730 municipalities rely on fines …

Feenstra v. Sigler

The complaint alleges Judge Jared Sigler, Judge John Gerkin, and former Judge Curtis DeLapp (Judicial Defendants) failed to conduct inquiries into individuals’ ability to pay before imposing fines and fees or before sanctioning individuals for nonpayment.

Special Report: How a legal system dependent on fines, fees affects Oklahomans

This five-part series uses personal accounts from Oklahomans to show how fines and fees negatively affect people who cannot afford them.