Ability to Pay Archives - Page 8 of 35 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

More Harm than Good: Building a more Just Fine and Fee System in California

Fines and fees push many low-income, Black, and Latinx California families into debt, cutting into their ability to meet basic needs. Researchers estimate that there is at least $10 billion …

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

Fines and fees can cause severe and destabilizing harm for people required to pay them. Researchers from the Vera Institute of Justice collected and analyzed budget data from state, county, city and …

Blood From a Turnip: Money as Punishment in Idaho

In 2019, the Idaho Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations (OPE) published a report acknowledging Idaho’s reliance on fines and fees as a source of court funding. According to the report …

An Analysis of Citation Data from the City of Buffalo Speed Camera Program

In 2020, the City of Buffalo installed speed cameras in school zones around the city to reduce the number of crashes in areas where children are going to and from …

The Price of Poverty in North Carolina’s Juvenile Justice System

To better understand the role of poverty in shaping outcomes in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system, the authors conducted interviews and surveyed attorneys, social workers, scholars and youth advocates. This …

National Center for Access to Justice Fines and Fees Index

In 2016, the National Center for Access to Justice debuted it’s Justice Index and in May 2020, it was updated for the second time. The Fines and Fees Index, an …

Reckless Lawmaking: How Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspension Laws Impose Harm and Waste Resources

This report examines the impacts of suspending driver’s licenses as a consequence of unpaid fines and fees and failure to appear in court. 16 individuals who had their license suspended …

Speeding into the Future: The Pitfalls of Automated Traffic Enforcement

With speeding as the leading cause of fatal car crashes in the United States, speed cameras are used in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Along with encouraging safer …

NM SB181

This bill requires courts in criminal proceedings to assess ability to pay a fine, fee or costs, at the time of sentencing. The bill also requires that individuals be permitted …

Injustice in the Lowest Courts: How Municipal Courts Rob America’s Youth

In collaboration with the Juvenile Law Center, Columbia Law School’s Community Advocacy Lab examined the constitutions and laws of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to …