50 State Survey: Probation and Parole Fees
A state-by-state look at the scope of probation and parole supervision fees, programming fees, and consequences for failure to pay.
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Small Fines And Fees, Large Impacts: Ability-To-Pay Hearings
Excessive fines and fees on low-income people threaten our criminal justice system and violate the Constitution’s Due Process and Excessive Fines Clauses. The Fourteenth and Eighth amendment requires courts to …
Forcing People To Pay For Being Locked Up Remains Common
Across all 50 states, states and municipalities charge children and adults for their incarceration. Some states sue incarcerated individuals for the total cost of incarceration, often ranging from $10,000 to …
The Price Kids Pay: Schools and Police Punish Students with Costly Tickets for Minor Misbehavior
In 2015 Illinois legislators passed Senate Bill 100 prohibiting schools from fining students as a form of discipline. However, the law did not apply to police and schools have since …
Policing-for-Profit Undermines Public Safety. This Town Shows A Better Way
Relying on tickets to fund government is counterproductive to public safety and can erode trust between community and law enforcement while worsening long-standing economic inequalities when residents can’t afford to …
The Criminalization Of Poverty In Tennessee
14 percent of Tennessee’s population lives below the poverty line, and while communities faced unaffordable housing costs, unemployment, and inadequate public transportation, counties used public funds to expand jails. From …
North Carolina Court Appearance Project
In North Carolina, nonappearance for a court case can lead to driver’s license suspension, an order for arrest, and jail time. Nearly 250,000 court appearances are missed annually in North …
Eliminating Discriminatory Fines and Fees: Learning from San Franscisco
In New York City, fines and fees provide the city with more than $2 billion in revenue each year. However, many of these fines and fees fall on lower income …
Taking on Traffic Laws: A How-To Guide for Decriminalizing Mobility
Policy, planning, and funding decisions have left primarily Black and low-income communities without safe infrastructure for biking and walking and created conditions forcing people to make choices that cities have …
Debt-Based License Suspensions: Drivers of Poverty and Incarceration
Jurisdictions nationwide suspend driver’s licenses for nonpayment of fines and fees unrelated to traffic safety. The suspensions pose significant challenges for the approximately 11 million Americans affected, particularly those in …