Local Governments Collected $9 Billion in Fines And Fees in 2020
The use of fines and fees to generate revenue can be exploitative and a conflict of interest when relied on as an essential source of revenue. Using data from the …
Conflicts of Interest
Policy Blueprint For Ending Carceral Profiteering
Each year, over 4,000 private corporations generate $80 billion by exploiting incarcerated people’s need to stay in contact with their loved ones and access medical care, quality food, and hygiene …
Regressive Revenue Perpetuates Poverty: Why Georgia’s Fines and Fees Need Immediate Reform
More than 300 localities in Georgia use revenue from fines and fees to balance their budgets, and 20 percent do so at rates researchers consider high and abusive. Georgians who …
State Of Phone Justice 2022: The Problem, The Progress, and What’s Next
As a result of actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and efforts at the state and local level, prison and jail phone call fees have steadily reduced over the …
Legal Financial Obligations in Washington State: Final Report
Washington state code refers to 376 unique criminal legal financial obligations (LFOs) that stem from misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, or felony convictions. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) used …
How a Wealthy Cleveland Suburb Profits From Ticketing Black Drivers
Black Clevelanders say Bratenahl officers target them when they drive through the affluent and majority White village. From January to September 2022, almost all of the 1,006 tickets were issued …
Reduction or Elimination of Costs and Fees Charged to Inmates in State Correctional Facilities
At the directive of bills from the Virginia Senate and House, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) organized a work group to make recommendations regarding the reduction or elimination of …
Redesigning Public Safety: Traffic Safety
Traffic stops are the most common reason for contact with the police in the United States, burdening Black drivers who disproportionately experience harassment and racial profiling. Along with being subject …
Turning the Page: Oklahoma’s Criminal Justice Reform Story
After being named the state with the highest incarceration rate in 2016, Oklahoma made intentional policy changes, reducing its prison population by 21 percent. This report chronicles the progress made …
U.S. Department of Justice Statement of Interest: Coleman v. Brookside, AL
On July 26, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Statement of Interest (SOI) in the case of Coleman v. Brookside, 2:22-cv-00423-RDP, pending in the U.S. District …