Spiraling Criminal Debt
North Carolina in recent decades moved to a user- fee model allowing courts to impose any number of fines and fees when a criminal case is resolved through a plea …
News
How Corporations Turned Prison Tablets Into a Predatory Scheme
Tablets have become another commodity that predatory corporations use to price gouge incarcerated people. In 2017, JPay distributed free mini-tablets to the prison population in New York, providing access to …
Johnson v. Goodwin
Johnson v. Goodwin (Formerly Johnson v. Jessup) Case No. 1:18-cv-00467 (M.D. N.C. 2022) On March 3, 2022, a federal court accepted a settlement in this class action lawsuit brought against the …
Miles v. Craighead County
Issue: Whether costs and fees collected in amounts greater than what is permitted by law constitutes an illegal exaction. Holding: Yes, charging costs and fees not permitted by law …
Resolve Traffic Debt: Advocate Toolkit
North Carolina automatically suspends a person’s driver’s license for failure to pay court fees or fines for a motor vehicle offense. Approximately 300,000 North Carolinians have long-term driver’s license suspensions …
Fowler v. Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System
Fowler v. Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System 623 S.W.3d 578 (2021) Issue: Whether the statute allowing counties and municipal courts to assess and collect a $3 surcharge that goes towards the Missouri …
Sentenced to a Life of Debt: It Is Time for a Reassessment of How Bankruptcy Law Intersects with Fines and Fees to Keep People in Debt
Court debt has generally been excluded from the fresh start bankruptcy provides, despite the disproportionate and devastating impacts on those who cannot afford to pay. This article reviews the provisions …
Audit: Nevada Prisons Overcharging At Inmate Store, Paying Excessive Overtime
Disadvantaged prisoners in Nevada’s prisons may struggle with obtaining basic needs due to markups on goods in the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) system. A recent audit by the governor’s …
The New Due Process: Fairness in a Fee-Driven State
Courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement work together to assess and collect fines, fees, and forfeitures that fund the justice system – a conflict of interest and a violation of due …
The High Cost of a Fresh Start: A State by State Analysis of Court Debt as a Bar to Record Clearing
A criminal record can make it hard to get a job, support a family, secure housing, vote, and ultimately pay off fines and fees. Despite efforts by states to provide …