New York City Council Committee on the Justice System hearing: “The Cost of Justice”
FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss was invited to testify at a New York City Council hearing, “The Cost of Justice,” about fines and fees in NYC courts.
Corrections Fees
No More Shackles: Why We Must End the Use of Electronic Monitors for People On Parole
Conditions for individuals on parole have grown more stringent with the addition of electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring is seen as an alternative form of incarceration, but the deprivation of liberty …
Texas prison system reduces cost of phone calls by 77 percent
During the summer of 2018, the Texas Board of Criminal Justice voted to reduce the price of phone calls made from Texas prisons. Previously, incarcerated people paid an average of $0.26 per minute to call their loved ones; now the rate is $0.06 per minute, and the time limit for calls was increased from 20 to 30 minutes.
Ten Guidelines on Court Fines and Fees
The American Bar Association developed ten guidelines to ensure that fines and fees do not punish people disproportionately for their poverty.
NYC Council Passes Intro 741, Guaranteeing Free Phone Calls for People Detained in NYC Jails
Joint Statement on a Victory Against Jail Profiteering July 18, 2018 – Today, the New York City Council passed Intro. No. 741, legislation sponsored by Speaker Corey Johnson, which requires …
“You Miss So Much When You’re Gone”- The Lasting Harm of Jailing Mothers Before Trial in Oklahoma
This report provides a brief history on the disproportionate rise of women’s incarceration in the US and in Oklahoma before explaining four kinds of barriers that prevent mothers from returning to normalcy after they come into contact with the system, with a particular focus on fines and fees.
Opinion: City Must Stop Using Incarcerated People as Revenue Source
FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss worked with #CLOSERikers Campaign Coordinator Brandon Holmes to publish this op-ed in the Gotham Gazette. Together, they argue that New York City should end the practice …
New York City Intro 0741-2018: Telephone services to inmates.
In August 2018, New York City Council passed Intro 0741, making NYC the first U.S. city to agree to make all phone calls free for people who are incarcerated in city jails.
“Set up to Fail”: The Impact of Offender-Funded Private Probation on the Poor
The author conducted qualitative research to assess the effect of private probation on people under parole supervision for misdemeanor offenses in Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. In some of these states, private parole officers have the authority to control critical aspects of a person’s parole terms.
Monetary Sanctions in the Criminal Justice System
This review of law and policy is the first-year report of a five-year study comprising quantitative and qualitative research that provides a detailed understanding of how fines and fees are imposed and enforced across the United States.