Ability to Pay Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

New Mexico HB 139: Eliminating Court Fees

The New Mexico Legislature approved a bill eliminating post-adjudication and bench warrant fees. The legislation also expands the definition of community service to encourage participation in job training, academic or …

Punishing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in New Mexico Misdemeanor Courts

Low-income people in New Mexico accused of minor crimes are often caught in a vicious cycle where they are jailed because they can’t afford to pay monetary sanctions. In 2018, …

Broken Rules: Laws Meant to End Debtors’ Prisons are Failing Nebraskans

Nebraska law has safeguards that should prevent people from being incarcerated solely because they cannot afford a fee or fine. Some include statutes that require considering a person’s ability to …

State of Washington v. Eyman

Issue Whether courts must consider a person’s ability to pay a fine when determining whether the fine is excessive under the Excessive Fines Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the …

The Fines and Fees Justice Index

In December 2022, The National Center for Access to Justice updated its Fines and Fees Justice Index. The last update was in May 2020. The Fines and Fees Index gives …

Removing Barriers to Youth and Family Success: The Role of State Juvenile Cost of Care Fees

For youth in Idaho, courts assess fines and fees with little regard for how their lives may be affected. Cost of care fees, also known as parent reimbursement fees, can …

Redesigning Public Safety: Traffic Safety

Traffic stops are the most common reason for contact with the police in the United States, burdening Black drivers who disproportionately experience harassment and racial profiling. Along with being subject …

Road to Nowhere: Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio

Each year, over 1 million drivers in Ohio have a suspended license for failure to pay fines and fees. Using surveys, census data, and five years of debt-related suspension data …

“Another Place to Warehouse People”: The State Where Halfway Houses Are a Revolving Door to Prison

In Colorado, about 50 percent of people return to prison within three years of release–one of the worst recidivism rates in the country. The 26 state-funded halfway houses meant to …

So Many Roadblocks: How California’s Program Fees System Traps Low-Income Drivers

California automatically suspends the driver’s licenses of people convicted for driving under the influence (DUI) and requires participation in an alcohol and drug education program in order to reinstate a …