Texas Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Texas Senate Bill 1637: Fines, fees, and costs

This legislation makes several changes to Texas courts’ imposition and collection of fines and fees, with a particular emphasis on defendants’ ability to pay and alternatives to fines and fees for indigent defendants.

Texas House Bill 2048: Repeal of the Driver Responsibility Program.

This bill repeals the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) and all associated fees. The DRP contributed significantly to driver’s license suspension for unpaid fines and fees in Texas.

Driven By Debt: How Driver’s License Suspensions for Unpaid Fines and Fees Hurt Texas Families

This report discusses the various ways debt-based driver’s license suspensions harm Texas drivers, especially those that are low-income and minorities.

Texas House Bill 2754: Arrests for failure to pay or failure to appear.

This bill, which did not pass, would have limited the use of arrest for fine-only offenses in Texas.

It’s All About The Money: An Exploration of Probation Fees

Texas relies on supervision fees from probationers to recuperate operating costs for their probation program; failure to pay can result in additional sanctions and ultimately, revocations. This study used focus …

Personal Narrative: Khalid

Khalid never received notice of fines and fees that led to his driver's license being suspended. He lost a job offer because he had no license.

Personal Narrative: Graciela

Graciela is a 76-year-old caregiver who takes three different buses for five hours to get to work each day. She receives Supplemental Security Income. Her license was suspended because of unpaid Driver’s Responsibility Program (DRP) surcharges.

Criminal Justice Debt in the South: A Primer for the Southern Partnership to Reduce Debt

Criminal justice debt places a h eavy burden on low-income families, often making it harder for those who owe to earn a living, trapping them and their families in poverty. …

Personal Narrative: Brady

Brady received a ticket for an expired inspection sticker. Because he entered an inpatient rehabilitation program, he missed the hearing for his ticket. When he later appeared in court, the judge informed him that he was charged with failure to appear and that he needed to pay the full amount of the fines and fees he owed. No inquiry was made as to his ability to pay.

Texas prison system reduces cost of phone calls by 77 percent

During the summer of 2018, the Texas Board of Criminal Justice voted to reduce the price of phone calls made from Texas prisons. Previously, incarcerated people paid an average of $0.26 per minute to call their loved ones; now the rate is $0.06 per minute, and the time limit for calls was increased from 20 to 30 minutes.