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 …
News
Regressive Revenue Perpetuates Poverty: Why Georgia’s Fines and Fees Need Immediate Reform
More than 300 localities in Georgia use revenue from fines and fees to balance their budgets, and 20 percent do so at rates researchers consider high and abusive. Georgians who …
2022 Final Report to the Governor, Legislature, and Supreme Court
Recommendations by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to decrease Michigan’s jail population led to the establishment of the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council (JRAC). JRAC …
Increasing Justice In New York: How New York Could Go From Failing to First in the Nation on the Fines and Fees Justice Index
With dozens of fees and fines at every stage of the legal system, New York has created a two-tiered justice system that engulfs low-income people in the criminal legal system. …
State Of Phone Justice 2022: The Problem, The Progress, and What’s Next
As a result of actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and efforts at the state and local level, prison and jail phone call fees have steadily reduced over 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 …
The Fines and Fees Justice Index
In December 2022, The National Center for Access to Justice updated its Fines and Fees Justice Index. The last update was in May 2020. The Fines and Fees Index gives …
Removing Barriers to Youth and Family Success: The Role of State Juvenile Cost of Care Fees
For youth in Idaho, courts assess fines and fees with little regard for how their lives may be affected. Cost of care fees, also known as parent reimbursement fees, can …
How a Wealthy Cleveland Suburb Profits From Ticketing Black Drivers
Black Clevelanders say Bratenahl officers target them when they drive through the affluent and majority White village. From January to September 2022, almost all of the 1,006 tickets were issued …
Rethinking How Law Enforcement Is Deployed
To mitigate the risk of harm, municipalities have tasked non-law enforcement responders with addressing nonviolent social and medical issues and narrowed police discretion and duties in traffic enforcement. Many have …