Corrections Fees Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Revenue Over Public Safety

Economic and financial incentives for law enforcement, state, local and federal governments, and for-profit private corporations have fueled punitive enforcement and mass incarceration. This report details economic incentives that are …

Forcing People To Pay For Being Locked Up Remains Common

Across all 50 states, states and municipalities charge children and adults for their incarceration. Some states sue incarcerated individuals for the total cost of incarceration, often ranging from $10,000 to …

Audit: Nevada Prisons Overcharging At Inmate Store, Paying Excessive Overtime

Disadvantaged prisoners in Nevada’s prisons may struggle with obtaining basic needs due to markups on goods in the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) system. A recent audit by the governor’s …

Justice-Involved Individuals and the Consumer Financial Marketplace

Contact with the justice system can destabilize people’s financial situation. This report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau outlines the challenges justice-involved individuals and their families face due to predatory …

Debtors Prisons: In Mississippi, Judges Can Lock You Up For Owing Money

In Mississippi, judges lock up people while they work to earn money to pay off court fees, fines, and restitution, without an end date. People spend an average of four …

Jones v. Clark County

Jones v. Clark County 635 S.W.3d 54 (KY 2021) Issue: Whether the detention center’s policy of billing an inmate for fees accumulated during pretrial incarceration violated both the state and federal …

San Francisco’s Financial Justice Project: Reducing the burden of fines and fees on San Franciscans with low incomes

San Francisco’s cost of living has drastically risen over the past decade, and 47 percent of San Franciscans are financially insecure. To address harmful fines and fees practices, San Francisco …

Connecticut Senate Bill 972: An Act Concerning Communication Services In Correctional And Juvenile Detention Facilities

The Connecticut Legislature passed a bill requiring the Commissioner of Correction to provide free voice communication service to all individuals confined in a correctional or juvenile detention facility, and prohibits …

The High Price of Using Justice Fines and Fees to Fund Government in Virginia

Although Virginia has made progress in limiting collateral consequences from fines and fees, the financial burden of criminal legal fines and fees continues to be a barrier to achieving financial …

The Impact of Criminal Court and Prison Fines and Fees in Philadelphia

Over the course of the last year, Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) worked to pursue fine and fee reform as a member of the Cities and Counties …