Alexes Harris

Alexes Harris

December 04, 2023 | Daily Report Online

Certain States Have Begun Scrapping Court Costs and Fees for People Unable to Pay–Two Experts on Legal Punishments Explain Why

At times, people are sentenced to pay without incarceration, but frequently people across the U.S. are sentenced to both jail time and fiscal penalties. ... But these fines and fees are often levied without any consideration for an individual's ability to pay—and can add up to thousands of dollars. Given the potential consequences of legal debt on people unable to pay, including the loss of the right to vote and further criminal infractions, we conducted a multistate study on the impact of fines and fees.

By Alexes Harris and Alex R. Piquero

5 minute read