Rhode Island Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

An Act Relating to Criminal Procedure — Probation and Parole Support Act

Rhode Island lawmakers enacted legislation eliminating costs, assessments, and fees for individuals who serve 30 days or more in prison. The law also permits waiver or reduction of court costs …

RI opens path for former inmates to break impoverishing cycle of court fees and fines

Many Rhode Islanders are saddled with debt after incarceration, making reentering into their communities difficult. After the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, Rhode Island’s Supreme Court Committee on Racial …

Protecting vs. Policing: Indigent Defendants in Rhode Island’s Court Debt Collection Regime

This thesis paper investigates who is being jailed in Rhode Island for outstanding court debt, the impact of the 2008 legislative reforms, and the effects incarceration has on people’s lives.

Who Pays? The True Cost of Incarceration on Families

This report is the result of a collaborative research project from 20 community-based organizations that studied the costs of incarceration on families across 14 states.

Jailing The Poor: Court Debt And Incarceration In RI

This policy brief describes how often people in Rhode Island are jailed for nonpayment of court fines and fees and barriers to repayment.

Court Debt and Related Incarceration in Rhode Island from 2005 through 2007

Rhode Island’s most frequent cause of incarceration is court debt, which not only causes inefficient use of state finances, but disrupts people’s lives. To determine the extent to which incarceration …