Washington Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

People in WA Prisons Pay Millions in Fees. Most of It Isn’t Being Used

The Washington Department of Correction manages an “Incarcerated Individual Betterment Fund,” which is funded by fees collected from incarcerated people. Although the fund is intended to improve the welfare of …

The Burden of Court Debt on Washingtonians

The majority of Washingtonians assessed legal financial obligations (LFOs) meet state indigency standards, and their low payment rates suggest their debts are uncollectible. In Washington, the inability to pay criminal …

State of Washington v. Eyman

Issue Whether courts must consider a person’s ability to pay a fine when determining whether the fine is excessive under the Excessive Fines Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the …

Legal Financial Obligations in Washington State: Final Report

Washington state code refers to 376 unique criminal legal financial obligations (LFOs) that stem from misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, or felony convictions. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) used …

Traffic Enforcement: Strategies Needed to Achieve Safety Goals

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic enforcement by the King County Sheriff’s Office declined, but by mid 2020 returned to a higher level in jurisdictions with officers …

What is Wrong with Monetary Sanctions?: Directions for Policy, Practice, and Research

Each year tens of millions of people are assessed fines, fees, and other costs stemming from their contacts with the criminal legal system, ranging from felony convictions to traffic violations. …

It’s Time To Reform Washington’s Harmful System Of Fines And Fees

People with low incomes, disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) shoulder much of the harm from the legal financial obligations (LFOs) levied in Washington’s criminal legal system. …

Understanding the Burden of Legal Financial Obligations on Indigent Washingtonians

Low-income defendants are burdened with fine and fee assessments that they cannot afford to pay. This paper examines administrative court data for criminal cases in limited jurisdiction courts in Washington, …

What Is Wrong with Monetary Sanctions? Directions for Policy, Practice, and Research

Monetary sanctions are an increasing form of punishment for criminal offenses that have generated billions of dollars in revenue while also generating massive amounts of penal debt for low-income individuals. …

County Dependence on Monetary Sanctions: Implications for Women’s Incarceration

As the overall incarceration rate has fallen in the United States, the incarceration rate for women has steadily risen in some areas. With the shift to legal financial obligations as …