Reinventing Community Corrections
This article discusses the history of criminal justice supervision and why parole and probation is an afterthought to some stakeholders when they consider rehabilitation programs for people convicted of crimes.
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Massachusetts Supreme Court Rule 3:10: Assignment of Counsel
This court rule establishes new procedures for Massachusetts courts to determine defendants’ ability to pay and for courts to assess fees for public counsel based on that determination.
Out of Ferguson: Misdemeanors, Municipal Courts, Tax Distribution and Constitutional Limitations
In this five-part research paper, Professors from Saint Louis University’s School of Law examine the “economic impact of discriminatory municipal law enforcement” in St. Louis County, Missouri.
The Right to Counsel in Indiana: Evaluation of Trial Level Indigent Defender Services
In Indiana, federal and state constitutions entitle all adults or children found to be indigent and facing the possibility of incarceration on misdemeanors or felonies, the right to public counsel. …
Fleming v. Missouri Board of Probation and Parole
Fleming filed writ of habeus corpus alleging he was unlawfully confined because his probation was revoked solely because of his indigency.
Denial of the Right to Counsel in Misdemeanor Cases: Court Watching in Nashville, Tennessee
ArchCity Defenders organized a court watching program at the Davidson County General Sessions Criminal Court in Nashville on Monday, September 12, 2016. The goal of the program was to learn more about the administration of right to counsel in misdemeanor courts in Nashville, and to learn if defendants were being incarcerated for inability to pay fines and fees.
Personal Narrative: Jane Doe (Tennessee)
She was a single black woman, age 37, with three children, ages 14, 10, and 8. Her disabled grandmother also lived with her. She worked two jobs to take care of her family and brought home just under $1200 monthly. After paying rent of $715, she had very little left to meet everyone’s needs. She reported having been to Court 1A five times in the past two years, facing charges of driving on a suspended license.
Biloxi Municipal Court Procedures for Legal Financial Obligations & Community Service
This bench card was created as part of a 2016 settlement agreement in Kennedy v. Biloxi, an ACLU lawsuit against the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, where defendants could avoid incarceration only if they paid their fines and fees immediately, in full, with cash.
Who Pays for Government? Descriptive Representation and Exploitative Revenue Sources
This study found that cities with larger black populations are more likely to use fines to generate revenue, but black legislators reverse that pattern.
Research Note: Justice System–Imposed Financial Penalties Increase the Likelihood of Recidivism in a Sample of Adolescent Offenders
The authors of this study analyze the effects of financial penalties (fines, fees, and restitution) two years after being imposed on 1,167 youth with a supervision status of adjudicated delinquent …