Failure to Pay Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

The Burden of Court Debt on Washingtonians

The majority of Washingtonians assessed legal financial obligations (LFOs) meet state indigency standards, and their low payment rates suggest their debts are uncollectible. In Washington, the inability to pay criminal …

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 …

2022 Final Report to the Governor, Legislature, and Supreme Court

Recommendations by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to decrease Michigan’s jail population led to the establishment of the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council (JRAC). JRAC …

Increasing Justice In New York: How New York Could Go From Failing to First in the Nation on the Fines and Fees Justice Index

With dozens of fees and fines at every stage of the legal system, New York has created a two-tiered justice system that engulfs low-income people in the criminal legal system. …

Road to Nowhere: Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio

Each year, over 1 million drivers in Ohio have a suspended license for failure to pay fines and fees. Using surveys, census data, and five years of debt-related suspension data …

Alabama Takes From the Poor and Gives to the Rich

To raise taxes in Alabama, cities and counties must go through the state legislature to initiate a constitutional amendment allowing them to pass a law to raise property or income …

In Small-Town Georgia, A Broken Taillight Can Lead to Spiraling Debt

Georgia is one of the few states that criminalize traffic fines and allow localities to outsource misdemeanor probation supervision to private companies that are permitted to charge fees. This article …

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 …

North Carolina Court Appearance Project

In North Carolina, nonappearance for a court case can lead to driver’s license suspension, an order for arrest, and jail time. Nearly 250,000 court appearances are missed annually in North …

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 …