Meade v. Bonin et al
When the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court (“OPCDC”) orders a defendant to sign up for ankle monitoring, the defendant must choose from three private ankle monitoring providers operating in Orleans …
Conflicts of Interest
The Price of Justice: Fines, Fees and the Criminalization of Poverty in the United States
Mass incarceration and the rising cost of the justice system correlate with the high number and value of fines and fees imposed throughout the justice system. As federal funding for …
Local Government Dependence on Criminal Justice Revenue and Emerging Constraints
Across the nation, local governments use the criminal justice system to balance their budgets through fines, fees, costs, assessments, and forfeitures. Many have become dependent on criminal justice revenue to …
Financial Policies for Imposed Fines, Fees, and Asset Forfeitures: The Basis for Building Trust with the Public and Fair Treatment of All Citizens
Many local governments rely on imposed fines, fees, and forfeitures to raise revenue without a financial policy. Doing so can reduce citizens’ trust in government, have a disproportionate impact on …
Court Costs, Fines, And Fees Are Bad Policy- Recommendations For Illinois Legislators
This policy brief discusses the history and issues of court fines and fees nationally and specifically in Illinois.
Privatization of Services in the Criminal Justice System
Privatization throughout the justice system has exacerbated the cycle of mandatory fees, nonpayment, and consequent additional fees. Private companies, often with little to no oversight, can have economic incentives to …
Municipal Fines and Fees: A 50-State Survey of State Laws
This report, including an interactive map, provides a 50-state analysis of state laws that regulate municipal imposition and collection of fines and fees. The analysis is based on 52 factors, organized into 7 broad categories, that measure the extent to which state laws “prohibit, sustain, encourage or neutralize” municipal reliance on fines and fees.
Re-Prioritizing Traffic Stops To Reduce Motor Vehicle Crash Outcomes and Racial Disparities
In 2010, Fayetteville, North Carolina, experienced a high motor vehicle crash rate while also combating eroding community trust in police. At the request of their newly appointed Chief Harold Medlock, …
Taxation by Citation? Exploring Local Governments’ Revenue Motive for Traffic Fines
In 1977 California counties received 74 percent of their own-source general funds from property tax, but after Proposition 13, counties’ property tax decreased by over 50 percent. Since the passage …
The Price of Taxation By Citation: Case Studies of Three Georgia Cities The Rely Heavily on Fines and Fees
The concept of taxation by citation and its subsequent harms are dissected and analyzed in this Institute for Justice report. Through the profiling of three Georgia cities–Morrow, Riverdale, and Clarkston–the authors use traffic and ordinance violation data to suggest that these towns’ use of code enforcement power is geared towards revenue generation rather than public safety.