Ability to Pay Archives - Page 14 of 39 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Pay Unto Caesar: Breaches of Justice in the Monetary Sanctions Regime

In this report, the authors analyze how people in the court system think about monetary sanctions with regard to constitutional, retributive, procedural and distributive justice. Using information from interviews with …

The Broad Scope and Variation of Monetary Sanctions: Evidence from Eight States

This study describes the findings from the Multi-state study of Monetary Sanctions, examining the systems of monetary sanctions operating in California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Texas and Washington. …

The High Price of Using Justice Fines and Fees to Fund Government

The Vera Institute of Justice released a series of research reports detailing the fines and fees levied by government agencies in Florida and New York, the impact of fines and …

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 …

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 …

Price of Justice- Challenging the Future of Fines and Fees

This report summarizes the progress five states made in fines and fees reform, the challenges they experienced, and guidance for other jurisdictions interested in reforming their court systems.

Cited for Being in Plain Sight: How California Policies Being Black, Brown, and Unhoused in Public

This report is a detailed analysis of non-traffic infraction data from California which shows that minorities are cited at higher rates than White people.

New York’s Ferguson Problem- How the state’s racist fee system punishes poverty, lacks transparency, and is overdue for reform

This paper shows how New York’s criminal justice fines and fees practices worsen racial disparities and punish low-income people.