Increases in both the number and amount of court fees, fines, and surcharges—regardless of offenders' ability to pay—have become standard practice in courthouses throughout the United States. A recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice, as well as several others, have shown that imposing criminal justice debt can interfere with reentry and rehabilitation. In response to this identified problem, the Vera Institute of Justice is exploring a potential demonstration project that would help jurisdictions generate revenue and hold offenders accountable for their crimes without the unintended negative justice outcomes. The Fines and Fees Initiative seeks to ameliorate the negative consequences that criminal justice debt may have on individuals, communities, and criminal justice systems.
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October 2011
Editorial|
October 01 2011
The Unintended Sentence of Criminal Justice Debt
Alexandra Shookhoff,
Alexandra Shookhoff
Intern, Department of Planning & Government Innovation, Vera Institute of Justice
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Robert Constantino,
Robert Constantino
Senior Program Associate, Center on Sentencing & Corrections, Vera Institute of Justice
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Evan Elkin
Evan Elkin
Director, Department of Planning & Government Innovation, Vera Institute of Justice
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Federal Sentencing Reporter (2011) 24 (1): 62–65.
Citation
Alexandra Shookhoff, Robert Constantino, Evan Elkin; The Unintended Sentence of Criminal Justice Debt. Federal Sentencing Reporter 1 October 2011; 24 (1): 62–65. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/fsr.2011.24.1.62
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