Locked In, Priced Out
Prison commissaries nationwide are inconsistent in their pricing. The Appeal underwent a nine-month investigation to collect commissary prices and markups from 46 states and created the first national database of …
Conflicts of Interest
Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri
Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri In 2014, when a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed Michael Brown, the City of Ferguson …
Fines & Fees Collection and Enforcement In Wilmington, Delaware: Gains and Costs
Wilmington, Delaware, with a predominantly Black population, experiences a poverty rate surpassing the state average. Criticism has been directed at the city for its ticketing and booting practices, raising concerns …
This Louisiana Town Runs Largely on Traffic Fines. If You Fight Your Ticket, the Mayor Is Your Judge.
A Louisiana town that covers 20 blocks with only 226 residents has garnered national attention for its predatory reliance on fines and forfeitures. To make matters worse, Fenton is home …
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 …
Predatory Fines and Fees: Revenue, Fiscal Contrition, and Policy Change
Some local jurisdictions are beginning to grapple with the social costs and individual harms associated with monetary sanctions and how they can become less reliant on them. This report clarifies …
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 …
Litigation Victory Signals End to California Courts’ Illegal Late Fees That Penalized Poverty for Profit – $550 Million to $1 Billion Erased
For years, California courts have burdened low-income people with unlawful civil assessments. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and …
Why Inflation Price Hikes Are Even Worse Behind Bars
The Marshall Project reviewed commissary prices from 26 state prison departments in 2022, finding that prices for food and hygiene products have soared across prisons due to the lack of …
Revenue, Race, and the Potential Unintended Consequences of Traffic Enforcement Reform
Highly publicized killings of people by law enforcement during traffic stops have led to a growing interest in traffic enforcement reform. While some see automated traffic enforcement and unarmed civilian …