Who Must Pay to Regain the Vote? A 50-State Survey (Update)
This report is an updated review of each U.S. state’s voting rights laws as they relate to payment of court fines, fees, and restitution.
News
First Steps Toward Equitable Fines and Fees Practices: Policy Guidance on Ability-to-Pay Assessments, Payment Plans, and Community Service
Jurisdictions across the country continue to impose disproportionate fines and fees. Until reform can be made, assessing a person’s ability to pay is critical to achieving fairness and equity in …
Considering the Process of Debt Collection in Community Corrections: The Case of the Monetary Compliance Unit
Before the creation of the monetary collection unit (MCU) in 2012, individuals with outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs) from criminal cases faced a prolonged cycle of probation or parole supervision. …
The Price of Justice: Fines, Fees and the Criminalization of Poverty in the United States
Mass incarceration and the rising cost of the justice system correlate with the high number and value of fines and fees imposed throughout the justice system. As federal funding for …
Community Success Initiative, et al. v. Moore, et al.
In North Carolina, roughly 70,000 individuals are prohibited from voting because they have a prior felony conviction, and in many cases individuals are disenfranchised solely because of their inability to …
Champagne v. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (“Linebarger”) has an exclusive contract with the Iowa Judicial Branch to act as the sole private company collecting court debt, including court costs, such …
Unveiling the Necrocapitalist Dimensions of the Shadow Carceral State: On Pay-to-Stay to Recoup the Cost of Incarceration
States and local jurisdictions across the United States impose pay-to-stay fees to generate revenue. Sociologist Brittany Friedman analyzes this practice using a necrocapitalism framework—a form of capitalism linked to death …
Beyond Graduation: Economic Sanctions and Structural Reform
As jurisdictions become more aware of the negative consequences of imposing unmanageable financial sanctions, there has been an increase in the number of jurisdictions that are implementing or adopting graduated …
How California Jails and Youth Lockups Profit off Incarcerated People & Their Families
In partnership with the Young Women’s Freedom Center and the Children’s Defense Fund of California, the San Francisco Financial Justice Project examined the costs of phone calls in youth lockups …
The Relationship Between Debt and Crime: A Systematic and Scoping Review
In a first of its kind, this study explores the relationship between debt and crime among adolescents and adults. The two-part study includes a systematic review of five studies that …