Collateral Consequences Archives - Page 8 of 26 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

How Tennessee Judges Look at Defendnats’ Ability to Pay Fines and Fees

People in Tennessee’s criminal justice system can accrue a multitude of fines and fees, but the impact depends on their ability to pay them. This report dives deeper into ability …

Unjust Revenue from an Imbalanced Criminal Legal System: How Georgia’s Fines and Fees Worsen Racial Inequality

Georgia’s localities are over-reliant on fines and fees revenue, making up more than 10 percent of their general revenue, while the national average among localities was two percent in 2018. …

Beyond Payment Plans: Breaking the Cycle of Court Debt in Tennessee

Tennessee, like many states, relies on fines and fees to fund its criminal justice system. To alleviate the adverse effects of court debt for low income residents, in 2019, the …

Fines and Fees Are a Barrier to Criminal Record-Clearing

Nationally, court debt is estimated to be over $27 billion; unpaid monetary sanctions creates barriers for system-involved individuals who try to clear their criminal records through expungement, including the cost …

Driver’s License Suspension for Unpaid Fines and Fees: The Movement for Reform

Laws that suspend, revoke, or prevent driver’s licenses and restrict driving privileges can limit individuals’ access to employment, healthcare, family, and other necessities. Debt-based (nonpayment of traffic and court-related debt) …

Debt to Society: The Role of Fines & Fees Reform in Dismantling the Carceral State

The massive increase in the use of fines and fees in Tennessee over the last 40 years can be explained by the increase in the number of individuals in the …

Debtors’ Blocks: How Monetary Sanctions Make Between-neighborhood Racial and Economic Inequalities Worse

Poverty, inequality and the numerous disadvantages that come with legal financial obligations (LFOs) are all present in resource-deprived neighborhoods. These disadvantages are exacerbated by the isolation of poor and predominately …

Costs and Consequences of Traffic Fines and Fees: A Case Study of Open Warrants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Nevada courts issue bench warrants for failure to pay fines or fees. Bench warrants allow police to take a person into custody and bring them before a judge. This report …

RI opens path for former inmates to break impoverishing cycle of court fees and fines

Many Rhode Islanders are saddled with debt after incarceration, making reentering into their communities difficult. After the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, Rhode Island’s Supreme Court Committee on Racial …

Bridging the Gap

When someone drives over one of the Bay Area’s toll bridges, they are charged $6 and sent an invoice. If the toll is not paid promptly, drivers are charged a …