Hidden Price of Justice: Fines and Fees in DC’s Criminal Legal System
The use of criminal legal fines and fees to to fill state and local budgetary gaps has deep roots in a history of anti-Black racism. That history is evident in …
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Eliminate justice-related fees and invest in Oklahoma’s justice system
Oklahoma’s reliance on court-imposed fines and fees as a funding mechanism for its criminal justice system disproportionately harms justice-involved individuals, especially those with low incomes. This approach places a significant …
Wilmington Fines and Fees Task Force Findings and Recommendations
Lower-income residents in Wilmington face financial hardship as the costs and fees from the city rise. In 2022, the Wilmington City Council created the Fines and Fees Task Force to …
Racial Disparities in Use of Force at Traffic Stops
Millions of traffic stops occur nationwide for reasons unrelated to safety. Officers not only use traffic stops as a pretext to conduct a search or investigate for other crimes but …
We Scrape Together Pennies: Fairness and Effectiveness of Monetary Sanctions
Monetary sanctions are ingrained in every element of the criminal legal system, including as a condition of community supervision. This study examines the administration, collection, and enforcement of fines and …
The Impact of Court Fines on People on Low Incomes
This report examines the impact of court fines on people with low incomes in England and Wales. The research, conducted by the Centre for Justice Innovation, includes interviews with people …
Estimating Earnings Impact of Driver’s License Revocations in North Carolina
In North Carolina, a driver’s license can be revoked for failure to pay court ordered monetary obligations and failure to appear in court. Millions of people rely on their licenses …
Playing Politics With Traffic Fines: Sheriff Elections and Political Cycles in Traffic Fines Revenue
The political budget cycle theory is the idea that elected officials change how they manage public money in the period immediately before elections to improve their chances of getting reelected. …
Shadow Budgets: How mass incarceration steals from the poor to give to the prison
This report examines “Inmate Welfare Funds” – special accounts in prisons and jails funded by revenues from the communication fees, commissary purchases, and other charges imposed on people who are …
Chicago Speed Cameras Fines Motorists over $102 million on 2023
In 2013, Chicago began issuing fines to motorists captured driving in excess of the speed limit. Since then, speed cameras have generated $879 million for the city, sending 9,132,409 tickets …