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 …
Community Service
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 …
Money and Punishment, Circa 2020
In conjunction with the 23rd Annual Liman Colloquium held in the Fall of 2020, the Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School, the Fines and Fees …
First Steps Toward Equitable Fines and Fees Practices: Policy Guidance on Ability-to-Pay Assessments, Payment Plans, and Community Service
Jurisdictions across the country continue to impose disproportionate fines and fees. Until reform can be made, assessing a person’s ability to pay is critical to achieving fairness and equity in …
Price of Justice- Challenging the Future of Fines and Fees
This report summarizes the progress five states made in fines and fees reform, the challenges they experienced, and guidance for other jurisdictions interested in reforming their court systems.
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Court Costs and Fines in Adult Trial Courts
This bench card provides guidance to judges regarding the imposition and collection of court costs and fines. The benchcard provides that a person may be jailed for a willful refusal …
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Fines and Fees in Juvenile Court
The bench card provides guidance to judges on how to determine a juvenile’s ability to pay, and outlines the circumstances unique to juveniles that must be considered before punishing a …
Case Studies in Indiana Community Corrections Fines and Fees
The experiences of four people involved in court-ordered community service programs in Indiana highlight the costs people are expected to pay and the variation of costs assessed between different people.