Collection Fees and Interest Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Low-Income Kansans Are Going Into Debt Because Unpaid Traffic Tickets Rack up Interest

In Kansas, low-income individuals fall deeper into debt due to unpaid traffic tickets that accrue interest over time. When these fines remain unpaid, they are often transferred to private collection …

The Cost of Parking: A Preliminary Analysis of Parking Tickets Data in Austin, Minneapolis, and Portland

Parking tickets can serve as an entry point to the criminal legal system when left unpaid, causing lifelong financial burdens. Additional consequences include suspended driver’s licenses, loss of voting rights, …

Community Supervision Part 1: Fees and Fines

Financial penalties can serve as a barrier to successful rehabilitation and reentry. In addition to fines and restitution, probationers and parolees can be assessed supervision fees, court fees, technology fees, …

The Burden of Court Debt on Washingtonians

The majority of Washingtonians assessed legal financial obligations (LFOs) meet state indigency standards, and their low payment rates suggest their debts are uncollectible. In Washington, the inability to pay criminal …

New Florida Law Offers More Affordable Payment Plan For Court-Ordered Fees

In Florida, 70 percent of the millions of people with suspended driver’s licenses are due to unpaid fines and fees. Under a new Florida law, Floridians with outstanding court fees …

475,106 Mistakes: When Tickets are Issued Under False Pretenses

In Chicago, many parking restrictions change according to space, time, and weather factors, resulting in the issuance of erroneous tickets. A review of nearly 3.6 million tickets, cross-examined with administrative …

Financial Sanctions in Pennsylvania

From 2008 to 2018, the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas assessed over $3.68 billion in fines, fees, and restitution. Using data from over 1.3 million cases in that ten-year period, …

Justice-Involved Individuals and the Consumer Financial Marketplace

Contact with the justice system can destabilize people’s financial situation. This report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau outlines the challenges justice-involved individuals and their families face due to predatory …

Measuring the Impact of Suspended Licenses on State Tax Revenue

Alabama law permits the suspension of driver’s licenses for failure to pay fines, fees, or court costs. Per suspended license, it is estimated that the state expects to collect a …

It’s Time To Reform Washington’s Harmful System Of Fines And Fees

People with low incomes, disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) shoulder much of the harm from the legal financial obligations (LFOs) levied in Washington’s criminal legal system. …