Equitable Approaches to Municipal Fines and Fees
The assessment and collection of fines and fees can have wide-ranging harmful consequences, particularly for Black and Latino people who are more likely to be targeted by the criminal justice …
News
RI opens path for former inmates to break impoverishing cycle of court fees and fines
Many Rhode Islanders are saddled with debt after incarceration, making reentering into their communities difficult. After the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, Rhode Island’s Supreme Court Committee on Racial …
Show Me The Money: Tracking The Companies That Have a Lock on Sending Funds to Incarcerated People
To pay for the everyday costs of being incarcerated, family members historically sent money orders to prisons, the amounts which would be added to the recipient’s trust account one to …
FL SB 870: Driver License Suspensions
Florida Senator Shevrin Jones introduced legislation that would eliminate provisions requiring the suspension of a driver’s license for failure to pay fines and fees for a traffic infraction or criminal …
Bridging the Gap
When someone drives over one of the Bay Area’s toll bridges, they are charged $6 and sent an invoice. If the toll is not paid promptly, drivers are charged a …
Eliminating fees in the Alameda County juvenile justice system meaningfully reduced financial burdens on families
Parents and families are typically responsible for the financial responsibilities imposed on minors by the juvenile justice system. In 2018, California became the first state to repeal administrative fees in …
The Demand for Money Behind Many Traffic Stops
Cities and towns, often those with weakened tax bases or that are barred from easily raising revenue, use fines and fees to raise revenue. Over 730 municipalities rely on fines …
Jones v. Clark County
Jones v. Clark County 635 S.W.3d 54 (KY 2021) Issue: Whether the detention center’s policy of billing an inmate for fees accumulated during pretrial incarceration violated both the state and federal …
Blood From a Stone: How New York Prisons Force People To Pay For Their Own Incarceration
The prison system amplifies the lack of commissary access to basic needs and telecommunications for the most disadvantaged people in prison and drains financial resources from them and their families. …
2021 Driving Injustice: Consequences and Disparities in North Carolina Legal and Traffic Debt
An increase in fines, fees, and license suspension for traffic tickets, infractions, and misdemeanors has created a vicious cycle of court debt. People who do not pay their debt within …