Report of Statewide Collection of Court-Ordered Debt for 2017-18
This report profiles the collection of unpaid court-ordered fines and fees during the 2017-18 fiscal year in California.
News
Stopping the Debt Spiral
This report shares the results of a survey of 304 low-income Illinois residents who were asked about their experience with debt, including criminal justice debt. Respondents disclosed the types of debt they had, the number of debts they owed, and the emotional toll debt takes on their families.
Stinnie v. Holcomb
This case challenges the constitutionality of a Virginia statute that requires the automatic suspension of the driver’s licenses of people who fail to pay court fines and fees.
Personal Narrative: Khalid
Khalid never received notice of fines and fees that led to his driver's license being suspended. He lost a job offer because he had no license.
Personal Narrative: Graciela
Graciela is a 76-year-old caregiver who takes three different buses for five hours to get to work each day. She receives Supplemental Security Income. Her license was suspended because of unpaid Driver’s Responsibility Program (DRP) surcharges.
Kavadas et al. v. Martinez et al.
In New Jersey, driver’s licenses were automatically suspended when bench warrants were issued to non-custodial parents for nonpayment of child support.
Every Second: The Impact of Incarceration on America’s Families
Mass incarceration impacts not only incarcerated people but their families and communities. Approximately 113 million people have had an immediate family member incarcerated for at least one night, and 6.5 …
Legal Financial Obligations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s use of legal financial obligations (LFOs) as a revenue mechanism is a long-established practice. The state enacted its first surcharge in 1977, and the number has grown significantly since. …
Alameda County Administrative Code Section 2.42.190 (Amendment): Prohibiting assessment and collection of fees for adult probation services; fees collected by Public Defender’s Office; fees for Sheriff’s Office Work Alternative Program
This ordinance eliminates criminal justice administrative fees charged by Alameda County, California. In particular, it eliminates county-imposed probation fees, public defender fees, and fees associated with the Sheriff’s Office Work Alternative Program.
Criminal Justice Debt in the South: A Primer for the Southern Partnership to Reduce Debt
Criminal justice debt places a h eavy burden on low-income families, often making it harder for those who owe to earn a living, trapping them and their families in poverty. …