News

Set Up to Fail: How Court Fines & Fees Punish Poverty and Harm Black Communities in Virginia

Virginia’s courts impose millions of dollars of debt from fines and fees that excessively burden Black Virginians. Through an analysis of five years of data from the State Compensation Board …

Traffic Tickets Plunged in Florida. It May Mean Painful Budget Cuts for Many Services

Florida’s dependence on fines and fees revenue has led to budget cuts for many services as traffic tickets have plunged since March 2020. Revenue from mostly traffic tickets helps pay …

Examining the Intersection Between Criminal Justice and Financial Services in the Deep South

The text discusses the financial burdens and barriers to financial stability faced by people after they are released from prison.

Layaway Freedom: Coercive Financialization in the Criminal Legal System

Using data from courtroom observations and interviews with court actors and people paying their court debt in Illinois, the authors study financialization in the criminal legal system, including the practice …

MI HB 5846

Michigan recently enacted legislation eliminating the authority to suspend, revoke, or restrict driver’s licenses for offenses unrelated to driving or vehicles; such as failing to appear in response to a citation or to …

Online Traffic Adjudication and Ability to Pay Annual Report

The Pilot Program for Online Adjudication of Infraction Violations allows qualified California litigants to request reductions in traffic infraction fines and fees in 8 pilot courts, remotely. This report provides …

Imposition And Collection Of Fines, Costs, And Restitution In Pennsylvania Criminal Courts

This research shows how court fines, fees, and restitution affect public defender clients differently than private counsel clients in Pennsylvania criminal courts.

Fees, Fines and Criminal Justice In Tennessee: How It All Works and Why It Matters

In Tennessee, fines and fees are used as both a punishment and a way to fund the justice system and other specific services. This report details the fines and fees …

Individual and Geographic Variation in Driver’s License Suspensions: Evidence of Disparities by Race, Ethnicity and Income

A suspended license can severely limit an individual’s access to healthcare services and social and economic opportunities. However, many states use driver’s license suspension as a compliance tool for violations …

Pay Unto Caesar: Breaches of Justice in the Monetary Sanctions Regime

In this report, the authors analyze how people in the court system think about monetary sanctions with regard to constitutional, retributive, procedural and distributive justice. Using information from interviews with …