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.
Local Reforms
San Francisco County Ordinance No. 131-18: Administrative Code – Criminal Justice System Fees and Penalties
This ordinance abolishes all discretionary fees imposed by San Francisco County.
Durham Driver Amnesty Program
The Durham County District Attorney’s office and the Bloomberg-funded Durham Innovation Team partnered to create the Durham Driver Amnesty Program. In its pilot phase, the District Attorney dismissed 2,500 pending charges for eligible participants which kept them from obtaining their driver’s license.
Injustice Under Law: Perpetuating and Criminalizing Poverty Through The Courts
The ability to hire an attorney in either a civil or criminal proceeding can result in an experience that is procedurally and substantively different than that of someone who is …
D.C. Law 22-175: Traffic and Parking Ticket Penalty Amendment Act of 2018.
The Council of the District of Columbia unanimously amended the District of Columbia Traffic Adjudication Act of 1978 to eliminate the suspension of drivers’ licenses for unpaid traffic debt or failure to appear at hearings.
Biloxi Municipal Court Procedures for Legal Financial Obligations & Community Service
This bench card was created as part of a 2016 settlement agreement in Kennedy v. Biloxi, an ACLU lawsuit against the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, where defendants could avoid incarceration only if they paid their fines and fees immediately, in full, with cash.
Orange clerk slashing surcharge imposed by collection companies
This 2015 Orlando Sentinel article describes how waiving surcharges assessed by collection agencies for one weekend led the Orange County Clerk of Courts to lower the rate these companies could charge going forward.
Fines, Fees, And Bail- Payments In The Criminal Justice System That Disproportionately Impact The Poor
This brief provides background information on criminal justice system fines, fees, and bail and argues that these costs disproportionately impact poor people.