The Fines and Fees Justice Index
In December 2022, The National Center for Access to Justice updated its Fines and Fees Justice Index. The last update was in May 2020. The Fines and Fees Index gives …
Elimination of Fees
Trial Court Administrative Order 22-3: Elimination of Monthly Probation Fees Imposed Pursuant to G.L. c. 276, § 87A
Effective July 1, 2022, Massachusetts eliminated monthly probation supervision fees, administrative probation fees, and victim services surcharges. Monthly probation fees assessed after the effective date will be remitted and paid …
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 …
At What Cost? Findings from an Examination into the Imposition of Public Defense System Fees
In the United States, there is a constitutional right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford a private attorney when facing a charge where, if convicted, they may lose their …
The Criminalization Of Poverty In Tennessee
14 percent of Tennessee’s population lives below the poverty line, and while communities faced unaffordable housing costs, unemployment, and inadequate public transportation, counties used public funds to expand jails. From …
Race Representation and Revenue: Reliance on Fines and Forfeitures in City Governments
The Department of Justice’s Ferguson report suggests cities with a higher population of Black people and an overrepresentation of White people in their law enforcement agencies levy fines at higher …
Civil Assessments: The Hidden Court Fee That Penalizes Poverty
California allows courts to charge a civil assessment fee of up to $300 to people who miss a deadline to pay or appear in court. An estimated 300,000 people receive …
Oklahoma SB 1458
Oklahoma introduced a bill that if passed would eliminate certain executive agency fees. Key Provisions: Eliminates the additional fee charged to any person convicted of an offense punishable by a …
It’s Time To Reform Washington’s Harmful System Of Fines And Fees
People with low incomes, disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) shoulder much of the harm from the legal financial obligations (LFOs) levied in Washington’s criminal legal system. …
Understanding the Burden of Legal Financial Obligations on Indigent Washingtonians
Low-income defendants are burdened with fine and fee assessments that they cannot afford to pay. This paper examines administrative court data for criminal cases in limited jurisdiction courts in Washington, …