MN H. F. 336
This bill repeals the authority of the commissioner to suspend a license based solely on the nonpayment of a fine or the failure to appear. The bill also requires the …
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MA HD2885: An Act to eliminate debt-based incarceration and suspensions
This bill eliminates debt-based incarceration and license suspensions for reasons not related to safe driving. The bill also creates a process for judges to reduce fines and fees if a …
Baltimore will no longer prosecute drug possession, prostitution, low-level crimes
The State’s Attorney’s Office made permanent its policy of declining to prosecute low-level offenses including minor traffic violations, first implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19 behind bars. Recently, the …
Suffolk County District Attorney Declines to Prosecute Low Level Offenses
The Suffolk County District Attorney implemented a policy of presumptively dismissing, or diverting and treating as a civil infraction, certain charges including operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked …
Dallas County Drops Jail Phone Call Cost to $.01 per Minute
Dallas County commissioners voted to reduce the cost of jail phone calls to 1 cent per minute. The new rate is a 95% reduction in costs, making it the lowest …
Injustice in the Lowest Courts: How Municipal Courts Rob America’s Youth
In collaboration with the Juvenile Law Center, Columbia Law School’s Community Advocacy Lab examined the constitutions and laws of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to …
Crimsumerism: Combating Consumer Abuses in the Criminal Legal System
Increasingly, criminal legal system debt is owed not only to the state, but also to a vast network of private companies profiting from the criminalization of poverty and communities of …
Arizona Senate Bill 1551: Driver license suspensions; restrictions
The Arizona legislature passed AZ SB 1551 ending driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay and failure to appear for traffic violations. The bill also prohibits the suspension or restriction of driving …
Driving DC to Opportunity: Wealth Should Not Determine Who Gets to Keep Their Driver’s License
DC’s Clean Hands Law restricts driver’s license privileges for court debt above $100. This report shows how this law punishes poverty, exacerbates inequalities, negatively impacts employment opportunities, and contributes to …
MA H.3453: An Act to Eliminate Debt-Based Incarceration and Suspensions
The Massachusetts legislature introduced a bill to eliminate debt-based incarceration and license suspensions for reasons not related to safe driving including failure to pay indigent counsel fees or parking tickets. The …