When the Dollars Don’t Add Up to Sense
Over the past 20 years, North Carolina has increased its reliance on fines and fees as a revenue source. At the same time, the legislature has implemented regressive tax policies …
Collateral Consequences
Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees
In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Office of Justice Programs, and Office for Access to Justice issued a revised Dear Colleague Letter, which detailed seven …
Waiving Criminal Court Fees Prevents Harms of Civil Debt
North Carolina law allows judges to order the conversion of financial obligations to civil judgments. Although doing this may protect justice-involved people from driver’s license suspensions, an extension of probation, …
Forgotten But Not Gone: A Multi-State Analysis of Modern-Day Debt Imprisonment
The majority of states allow imprisonment as a direct result of failing to pay (FTP) court debt. This report presents findings from a three-state case study that sought to estimate the prevalence …
Civil Rights and Equity of Legal Financial Obligations in North Carolina
Each state has an advisory committee on civil rights composed of members with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences that advise the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on civil rights issues …
The Impact of Criminal Financial Sanctions: A Multi-State Analysis of Survey and Administrative Data
This multi-state study assesses outcomes related to recidivism, employment, expenditures, mental well-being, and household spillovers. Researchers specifically analyzed how increasing the dollar amount of financial obligations imposed upon conviction across …
No License to Drive: Why So Many Ohioans Are Barred From Driving
States surrounding Ohio have eliminated debt-based driver’s license suspensions in recent years, but Ohio continues to issue suspensions for failure to pay court debt. An investigation by Marshall Project–Cleveland and …
Understanding the Landscape of Fines, Restitution, and Fees for Criminal Convictions in Minnesota
In Minnesota, being charged and convicted of a crime can lead to a number of consequences, including arrest, incarceration, or probation, in addition to the often less visible financial consequences. …
Poverty Penalties as Human Rights Problems
Financial sanctions have led to widespread poverty penalties on low-income and vulnerable populations and are a domestic and international human rights concern. States disproportionately punish poor defendants when fines for …
Why Automated Speed Cameras Disproportionately Affect Black and Brown Drivers
Automated traffic enforcement is active in nearly 200 communities nationwide. In Chicago, Illinois, speed cameras have been in place since 2013. In 2023, the city generated an extra $120 million …