Community Service Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

New Mexico HB 139: Eliminating Court Fees

The New Mexico Legislature approved a bill eliminating post-adjudication and bench warrant fees. The legislation also expands the definition of community service to encourage participation in job training, academic or …

Punishing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in New Mexico Misdemeanor Courts

Low-income people in New Mexico accused of minor crimes are often caught in a vicious cycle where they are jailed because they can’t afford to pay monetary sanctions. In 2018, …

OKC Municipal Court Programs Provide Real Alternatives To Incarceration

Oklahoma City has taken a holistic approach to removing barriers to progress for people in Oklahoma City that have been criminalized due to their poverty and homelessness. Through a collection …

New Mexico House Bill 81

The New Mexico legislature introduced a bill requiring the court to assess a person’s ability to pay any fine, fee or cost at the time of sentencing, and creating a …

A Limited Review of Warrants and Uncollected Fines and Fees

In Utah, warrants are typically not collected, but serve as a mechanism to ensure the appearance of defendants in court. Warrants reflect the outstanding fine, fee, and citation amount for …

Discounts for People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is offering discounts on citations and fees for people experiencing homelessness. Discounts include a one-time waiver of all open parking citations, removal of …

Driven by Debt: The Failure of the OmniBase Program

The OmniBase Failure to Appear Program places holds on license renewals (making it an offense to drive) when the license holder fails to pay fines and fees or fails to …

Financial Health and Criminal Justice: The Impacts of Involvement

The Financial Health Network surveyed 573 individuals about their own or a household member’s experience with the justice system to better understand the impacts on their financial health. Researchers surveyed …

Delaware HB 244: An act to amend the code relating to fines, fees, costs, assessments, and restitution

The Delaware legislature introduced a bill to eliminate a number of fines and fees including fines and costs in juvenile delinquency proceedings, the public defender fee, and the probation supervision …

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 …