Policing-for-profit Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

New York’s Ferguson Problem- How the state’s racist fee system punishes poverty, lacks transparency, and is overdue for reform

This paper shows how New York’s criminal justice fines and fees practices worsen racial disparities and punish low-income people.

Local Government Dependence on Criminal Justice Revenue and Emerging Constraints

Across the nation, local governments use the criminal justice system to balance their budgets through fines, fees, costs, assessments, and forfeitures. Many have become dependent on criminal justice revenue to …

Fines, Fees and Police Divestment: Statement and Policy Recommendations

Across the country, people are demanding that the government divest from law enforcement and invest in communities of color that have been over-policed and under-served. Any discussion of shrinking the …

Fines, Fees, Forfeitures, and Disparities: A Link Between Municipal Reliance on Fines and Racial Disparities in Policing

This research paper explores the relationship between a municipality's reliance on fines and fees and police behavior during traffic stops.

Probation and Monetary Sanctions in Georgia: Evidence from a Multi-Method Study

This article analyzes how monetary sanctions and probation supervision intersect in Georgia. Using data and interviews, gathered between 2015 and 2018, the authors find substantial variation between jurisdictions in the …

Re-Prioritizing Traffic Stops To Reduce Motor Vehicle Crash Outcomes and Racial Disparities

In 2010, Fayetteville, North Carolina, experienced a high motor vehicle crash rate while also combating eroding community trust in police. At the request of their newly appointed Chief Harold Medlock, …

Monetary Sanctions: Legal Financial Obligations in US Systems of Justice

This review provides a historical background of court fines and fees and shows how these costs affect people present day.

Taxation by Citation? Exploring Local Governments’ Revenue Motive for Traffic Fines

In 1977 California counties received 74 percent of their own-source general funds from property tax, but after Proposition 13, counties’ property tax decreased by over 50 percent. Since the passage …

Nine Facts about Monetary Sanctions in the Criminal Justice System

High expenditures in the criminal justice system have led some jurisdictions to rely on courts and law enforcement to generate new revenue. This report identifies nine facts about monetary sanctions …

The Cost of Justice: The Impact of Criminal Justice Financial Obligations on Individuals and Families

Monetary penalties are commonly levied by the criminal justice system. After the increase of incarceration from the tough-on-crime era starting in the 1970s, the burden of funding court operations shifted …