NJ S266
The New Jersey legislature introduced a bill that would eliminate driver’s license suspensions for failure to answer or appear in response to a failure to appear notice, or failure to pay …
News
Local Policy Guide: Reforming Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspensions at the Local Level
This guide is designed to give local leaders the tools, process and resources they need to reform debt-based driving restrictions at the local level.
Monetary Sanctions and Symbiotic Harms
When justice-involved individuals cannot afford their legal debts, their families who provide financial support suffer the unintended negative effects of punishment– also known as symbiotic harms. This study analyzes data …
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, …
Arizona HB 2033
The Arizona legislature introduced a bill repealing provisions related to the imposition of juvenile fees. Key provisions: Repeals the provision requiring the court to order a parent or guardian with …
Segmented Pricing For Fines and Fees
Local governments use fines and fees to discourage negative behavior and raise revenue. However, not everyone can afford to pay, leading to uncollected debt and harm to vulnerable communities. In …
More than half of Louisiana’s Public Defender Offices in The Red After COVID Shuttered Courts
Public defense in Louisiana is reliant on unpredictable conviction and user fees for the bulk of its funding. For the fourth year in a row, public defense offices have run …
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 …
Incomparable Punishments: How Economic Inequality Contributes to the Disparate Impact of Legal Fines and Fees
In Texas, fines are the standard sentence for Class C misdemeanors encompassing most traffic, public order, city code, and other low-level infractions for which jail time is not statutorily permissible …