Conflicts of Interest Archives - Page 2 of 10 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

We Scrape Together Pennies: Fairness and Effectiveness of Monetary Sanctions

Monetary sanctions are ingrained in every element of the criminal legal system, including as a condition of community supervision. This study examines the administration, collection, and enforcement of fines and …

Playing Politics With Traffic Fines: Sheriff Elections and Political Cycles in Traffic Fines Revenue

The political budget cycle theory is the idea that elected officials change how they manage public money in the period immediately before elections to improve their chances of getting reelected. …

Shadow Budgets: How mass incarceration steals from the poor to give to the prison

This report examines “Inmate Welfare Funds” – special accounts in prisons and jails funded by revenues from the communication fees, commissary purchases, and other charges imposed on people who are …

The Cost of Justice: In Indiana, Legal Fines and Fees Are Determined by Where You Live

Monetary sanctions can prevent intergenerational wealth through the seizure of property, assets, and accounts, and the collateral consequences they perpetuate are often overlooked. People involved in the criminal legal system …

Locked In, Priced Out: How Prison Commissary Price-Gouging Preys on The Incarcerated

Prison commissaries nationwide are exploitative and inconsistent in their pricing. The Appeal underwent a nine-month investigation to collect commissary prices and markups from 46 states. People in prison make pennies …

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 …

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 …