News

The Impact of Criminal Court and Prison Fines and Fees in Philadelphia

Over the course of the last year, Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) worked to pursue fine and fee reform as a member of the Cities and Counties …

Reducing Suspended Drivers and Alternative Reinstatement Best Practices Edition 3

At its inception, driver’s license suspension aimed to address poor driving behavior. However, its current use extends beyond highway safety concerns and encompasses non-highway safety obligations. Drivers can have their …

The Price of Poverty in North Carolina’s Juvenile Justice System

To better understand the role of poverty in shaping outcomes in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system, the authors conducted interviews and surveyed attorneys, social workers, scholars and youth advocates. This …

National Center for Access to Justice Fines and Fees Index

In 2016, the National Center for Access to Justice debuted it’s Justice Index and in May 2020, it was updated for the second time. The Fines and Fees Index, an …

The ABCs of Racial Disparity: Enforcement of Low-Level Drug Crimes in Dallas County in 2018

In Dallas County, police discretion determines whether a person will be tried in municipal or county court for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. This report examines the marijuana enforcement …

AR SB513

The Arkansas legislature passed a bill eliminating driver’s license suspension for failure to pay fines in noncriminal traffic infractions. The bill permits driver’s license suspension for failure to appear at a hearing to …

Tip of the Iceberg: How Much Criminal Justice Debt Does the U.S. Really Have?

Considerable research has uncovered the financial burden and unintended consequences wreaked on the people charged with paying fines and fees. But there has been little, if any, investigation into how …

IN HB 1199: An act to amend the Indiana Code concerning motor vehicles

Indiana recently passed a bill ending driver’s licenses suspension for failure to appear. The bill continues to permit suspensions for failure to pay, but upon a showing of proof of financial responsibility, …

Reckless Lawmaking: How Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspension Laws Impose Harm and Waste Resources

This report examines the impacts of suspending driver’s licenses as a consequence of unpaid fines and fees and failure to appear in court. 16 individuals who had their license suspended …

Speeding into the Future: The Pitfalls of Automated Traffic Enforcement

With speeding as the leading cause of fatal car crashes in the United States, speed cameras are used in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Along with encouraging safer …